4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” FEMA and the FCC said in a statement. As part of the third-ever nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, all cell phones received a text notification with a “unique tone and vibration,” according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission, which are running the tests. ET - which is to say if you’re in the vast majority of Americans - you just had your lunch/meeting/afternoon tryst interrupted. If you had a phone and were within range of a cell tower on Wednesday around 2:20 p.m.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer Photo: Getty Images
