This is only a test, but a pretty historic test.
Starting at 2 pm Eastern (1 pm Central, noon Mountain, 11 am Pacific), the Emergency Alert System will be tested nationwide for the first time.
You might think of it as the Emergency Broadcast System, but it’s used the Emergency Alert System (EAS) name since 1994. The EAS is tested monthly on a statewide basis and weekly on a local level, but it’s never been tested nationally… until now.
For 30 seconds, you’ll see and hear “this is a test,” during a dry run of the EAS conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission. Today’s test will include radio, TV and cable TV services, satellite radio and wireline video service providers.
So keep calm, carry on and remember: this is only a test.