A nationwide alert test is to be sent out to all TVs, radios, and cell phones on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET. This will be a testing of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), administered on radios and television, and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), administered on cell phones.
The WEA test will be sent to all cell phones in the United States. This will show up on phones as a message in either English or Spanish, depending on the settings on the cell phone. This is the third nationwide test, but it is the second to be sent to all cell phones. Each wireless phone should receive the message only once. Cell phones must be turned on to receive the message.
The EAS test will be sent to televisions and radios and is the seventh nationwide EAS test. This test is scheduled to last approximately one minute.
Each message will confirm that it is a test, who administered the test, and that no action is required.
This test is being conducted to ensure the systems continue to be effective in warning the public of emergencies, particularly those on the national level.
In case of postponement due to severe weather or other significant events, the back-up test will take place next Wednesday, October 11