A civil emergency message (CEM) is a warning issued through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in the United States to inform the public about a significant, in-progress, or imminent threat or danger to public safety. It is typically issued by local or state authorities and relayed by the National Weather Service. The message alerts people to situations that require urgent attention, such as mandatory evacuations or other protective actions, but it is less specific than a civil danger warning (CDW) and has a higher priority than a local area emergency (LAE)
. For example, a civil emergency message might be issued to warn residents about a mandatory evacuation due to a threatened dam failure, as happened in McDowell County, North Carolina, after a landslide
. In summary, a civil emergency message serves to quickly notify the public of serious threats to safety that are occurring or about to occur, prompting immediate protective measures to safeguard life and property
