Your phone will emit a blaring emergency alert today – unless you do this

FEMA is sending emergency alerts to cell phones to measure the effectiveness of its cellular emergency alert system. As natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes continue to damage infrastructure and threaten lives, FEMA wants to strengthen citizens’ emergency readiness.

Most Americans have a cell phone and use it throughout their day, making cell phones the most direct and surefire way to communicate emergency information to citizens.

Legislation passed in 2015 requires FEMA to test their emergency alert systems at least once every three years.