FEMA Nationwide Emergency Alert test today

In just a few hours FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. The test will happen today, November 9 at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. The alert system will be transmitted via television and radio stations throughout the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. FEMA is working with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the alert system, which would alert Americans to any type of environmental threat, defense issue, or other “hazard” as FEMA put it. No need to crawl under your desk though, or run to the hills, this is “only a test.” The alert will show up on your television screen and be heard on radio stations just like local emergency alerts with the message “This is a test.”