Federal government to conduct nationwide emergency alert test Wednesday via mobile phones, cable TV

REBECCA SANTANA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government will be testing it’s nationwide emergency alert system. The test happens Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time. Mobile customers whose phones are on will hear an alert, their phones will vibrate and then a message will flash across their screens about the test. People watching television or listening to the radio will also see or hear the message. While these types of alerts are frequently used in targeted areas to alert people to thing like tornadoes, Wednesday’s test is being done across the country. Federal law requires the systems be tested at least once every three years. The last nationwide test was in 2021.