An Emergency Broadcast System test — now formally called an Emergency Alert System test since the system was renamed in 1997 — is a routine check of the nationwide infrastructure that delivers warnings for tornadoes, flash floods, AMBER alerts, and other threats. Tests run weekly and monthly at the local level, with occasional nationwide tests coordinated by FEMA and the FCC. The most recent nationwide test took place on October 4, 2023, and no nationwide test was conducted in 2025. When a test hits your radio, television, or phone, no action is required on your part; the message itself will say it is a test.
How to Recognize a Test
Every broadcast test opens with a harsh two-tone audio signal designed to grab attention whether you want it to or not. The sound combines two frequencies played at the same time, 853 Hz and 960 Hz, a pairing chosen because it cuts through background noise and is genuinely unpleasant to ignore.1eCFR. 47 CFR 11.31 – EAS Protocol On television, a text crawl or static banner appears near the top of the screen while the tones play.
After the tones, a spoken message follows. A typical monthly test script reads: “This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. This is a coordinated monthly test of the broadcast stations of your area. We are testing equipment that can quickly warn you during emergencies. If this had been an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the alert tone.”2Federal Communications Commission. Emergency Alert System Handbook Weekly tests are shorter and skip the spoken audio. The sequence ends with an End of Message code that returns your broadcast to normal programming.
On a cell phone, a Wireless Emergency Alert test looks different. Your phone vibrates and displays a pop-up notification with a distinctive buzzing tone. There is no two-tone signal, because WEA messages travel through a separate delivery channel built for mobile devices.
How Often Tests Happen
Federal rules require three tiers of testing, each designed to catch problems at a different scale.
- Required Weekly Test. Each station sends a short burst of digital header codes and an End of Message code at least once every seven days. There is no audible attention signal or spoken message, so most listeners never notice. A station can skip a weekly test if it transmitted or received an actual alert, or participated in another test, that week.3eCFR. 47 CFR 11.61 – Tests of EAS Procedures
- Required Monthly Test. This one includes the full attention signal, header codes, and End of Message code. Stations must retransmit the test within 60 minutes of receiving it, unless the state EAS plan specifies a different window.4eCFR. 47 CFR Part 11 – Emergency Alert System
- National Periodic Test. FEMA delivers a coded test message to primary relay stations, and every EAS participant in the country relays it. The FCC must give at least two months’ notice before scheduling one, and a national test replaces both the weekly and monthly tests for that period. Stations must log their results in the EAS Test Reporting System within 24 hours.3eCFR. 47 CFR 11.61 – Tests of EAS Procedures
The October 4, 2023 test was the first to simultaneously test both the EAS broadcast infrastructure and the Wireless Emergency Alert system nationwide. Every WEA-capable phone in the country received a test message that afternoon.5Federal Communications Commission. EAS Test Reporting System
Broadcast Alerts and Phone Alerts Are Two Different Systems
The Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts work in parallel. EAS delivers alerts through broadcast radio, over-the-air television, cable systems, satellite providers, and wireline video services. It uses a relay method: one station receives an alert and passes it to the next, creating a chain that covers an entire region. FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System coordinates the whole process, feeding authenticated alerts to broadcasters.6FEMA.gov. Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
Wireless Emergency Alerts work differently. Instead of relaying between stations, cell towers push a message simultaneously to every compatible phone within a targeted geographic area. WEA uses cell broadcast technology on a dedicated channel, so alerts get through even when regular cellular traffic is congested after a disaster. That is why your phone can buzz with a tornado warning even when you cannot load a webpage.
The National Weather Service ties into both. It uses NOAA Weather Radio to trigger EAS activations for severe weather, and the systems share identical digital encoding known as Specific Area Message Encoding.7National Weather Service. NWR NWS Event Codes Tornado warnings, flash flood warnings, hurricane warnings, and dozens of other weather event codes flow through this shared protocol.
Managing Alerts on Your Phone
You can control which categories of wireless alerts your phone receives, but not all of them. Federal regulations divide WEA messages into four classes.8eCFR. 47 CFR 10.400 – Classification
- National alerts. Issued by the President or the FEMA Administrator. You cannot turn these off. Federal law explicitly prohibits carriers from offering an opt-out for this category.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 47 USC 1201 – Federal Communications Commission Duties
- Imminent threat alerts. Events rated as extreme or severe in urgency and severity, such as tornado warnings or tsunami warnings. You can disable these, though doing so is a genuinely bad idea.
- AMBER alerts. Child abduction emergencies that meet the Department of Justice’s activation criteria. You can opt out.
- Public safety messages. Follow-up advisories connected to an active emergency, such as shelter-in-place instructions. You can opt out of these as well.
To adjust these settings, look under your phone’s notification or safety settings. The exact path varies by manufacturer and carrier. On most Android devices, open Settings and search for “Emergency Alerts,” or find it under Apps and Notifications.10Federal Communications Commission. How to Opt In to Wireless Emergency Alert Tests On iPhones, the toggles are under Settings, then Notifications, scrolled to the bottom. The same menu lets you opt in to local WEA test messages, which is worth enabling if you want to confirm your phone is working correctly.
What to Do During a Test Versus a Real Alert
During a test, you do not need to do anything. The message itself will clearly state it is a test, and your broadcast or phone will return to normal within seconds. The one thing worth doing is confirming you actually received it. If a nationwide test goes out and your phone stays silent, something is likely misconfigured in your alert settings.
During a real alert, the message will describe the threat and tell you what to do: seek shelter, evacuate, or avoid a specific area. Treat any alert that does not explicitly say “test” as real until you can confirm otherwise. Weather alerts from the National Weather Service are time-sensitive. A tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected on radar, not that conditions are merely favorable. The few seconds it takes to act on that distinction can matter.
If You Did Not Receive an Alert
Start with your phone. The most common reason for missed WEA messages is that a category was toggled off at some point without the owner realizing it. Open your alert settings and confirm imminent threat alerts, AMBER alerts, and public safety messages are all switched on. If everything looks right and you still missed an alert others in your area received, the FCC accepts consumer complaints online through the Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Center at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov, or by phone at 888-225-5322.11Federal Communications Commission. Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Center Reports help the FCC identify patterns and track recurring problems with specific carriers or broadcasters.