Nationwide Alert Test This Afternoon

A nationwide emergency alert test will be sent to all TVs, radios, and cell phones today -Wednesday, October 4th at 2:20 p.m. ET. The nationwide test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) conducted by FEMA and the FCC will affect all major wireless carriers that participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts, which will transmit the test to users. The test will last about 30 minutes. If your phone is turned on and within range of a cellular tower, it will receive the alert only once and the alert tone will only be played when the phone initially receives the message. Television and radio station alerts will last approximately one minute. Those alerts will be similar to the regular monthly tests of the EAS system. Backup testing is scheduled for October 11th.