On Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, the federal government will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System at 1:20 pm.

What to expect:

• The Emergency Alert System that will take placeWednesday, October 4, 2023.
• At1:20 pm CST,the federal government will test its nationwideEmergency Alert SystemandWireless Emergency Alerts. The purpose is to ensure that the systems continue to be an effective means of warning the public about national emergencies.
• Cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. All wireless devices should receive the message only once. An alert screen will pop up on the phone but cannot be disregarded.
• The alert scheduled to be sent through radio and television broadcasters, cable systems and satellite radio is scheduled to last about one minute. It will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert system. Issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
• Unlike any other alert, this one cannot be silenced. Everyone with a cell phone will receive the alert.
• For more information, you can view the press release on FEMA's website.