what is an emergency alert

An emergency alert is a message sent to the public to warn them of an imminent threat to their safety or property. Emergency alerts can be delivered through various channels, including television, radio, and mobile devices. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national warning system in the United States designed to allow authorized officials to broadcast emergency alerts and warning messages to the public via cable, satellite, or broadcast television, and both AM/FM and satellite radio. The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system is another way to deliver emergency alerts to mobile devices. It has been used more than 84,000 times to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations. Emergency alerts can be issued by the President of the United States, state and local authorities, and other authorized public alerting authorities. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) allows the President to address the nation within 10 minutes during a national emergency. Emergency alerts can also be used to deliver important information such as AMBER alerts and weather information targeted to specific areas.