PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
911 AM EST TUE NOV 8 2011

...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ON NOVEMBER 9TH AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00 PM EST...THE FEDERAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY WILL CONDUCT A NATIONWIDE TEST OF THE
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.

IT WILL BE HEARD ON COMMERCIAL RADIO AND SEEN ON LOCAL...CABLE
AND SATELLITE TV FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT THREE MINUTES.
HOWEVER...THE TEST MESSAGE WILL NOT BE BROADCAST OVER NOAA WEATHER
RADIO...AS IT IS INTENDED TO TEST OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNICATION
SYSTEM.

THE PURPOSE OF THE TEST IS TO ASSESS THE READINESS AND
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM AND IDENTIFY
IMPROVEMENTS TO IT. ALTHOUGH THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM IS
FREQUENTLY USED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO SEND WEATHER ALERTS AND OTHER
EMERGENCIES...THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A NATIONAL ACTIVATION OF THE SYSTEM.

THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO ROUTINE WEEKLY TEST NORMALLY SCHEDULED FOR
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9TH HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

AGAIN...NO NOAA WEATHER RADIO TESTS WILL BE CONDUCTED ON WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 9TH.

THE NATIONAL TEST WILL LOOK SIMILAR TO OTHER TESTS YOU HAVE SEEN
OR HEARD...BUT THERE WILL BE SOME DIFFERENCES. THE AUDIO MESSAGE
WILL REPEAT "THIS IS A TEST." HOWEVER...THE TELEVISION...CABLE OR
SATELLITE VIDEO TEST MESSAGE MAY NOT SCROLL "THIS IS A TEST."
ALSO...THE MESSAGE WILL LAST LONGER THAN USUAL BEFORE REGULAR
PROGRAMMING RESUMES.

THIS NATIONAL TEST SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT EVERYONE SHOULD
ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS KIT AND EMERGENCY PLAN FOR
THEMSELVES...THEIR FAMILIES...COMMUNITIES...AND BUSINESSES.

VISIT FEMA DOT GOV FOR MORE PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION.