Draft:List of Emergency Alert System events

• Comment: See WP:CIRC. Shadow311 (talk) 00:16, 9 November 2024 (UTC)

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The EAS logo as of 2007

This is a list of every Emergency Alert System event, there are 63 currently used events and 80 events total.

Weather related events

Event name	NWR-SAME code	Event Level	This is issued when...	On TV?	On radio?	On cell phone?
Air Quality Alert	None	Warning	This is issued when the AQI passes 100.	No	Yes (no EAS tone)	Yes (no EAS tone)
Areal Flood Advisory	None	Advisory	This is issued when minor urban and small stream flooding is expected to occur.	Possibly	Possibly	Possibly
Avalanche Watch	AVA	Watch	This is issued when avalanche conditions are favorable.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	User Settings
Blizzard Warning	BZW	Warning	This is issued when heavy snowfall and sustained winds are forecast to occur within the next couple hours.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	Possibly (& user settings)
Coastal Flood Watch	CFA	Watch	This is issued when coastal flooding is possible, and such flooding would cause extreme danger to life and property.	Possibly (& broadcaster choice)	Possibly (& broadcaster choice)	Possibly (& user settings)
Coastal Flood Warning	CFW	Warning	This is issued when coastal flooding is happening or is imminent.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	User settings
Dense Fog Advisory	None	Advisory	This is issued when heavy fog is expected to severely decrease visibility.	No	Yes (no EAS tone)	Yes (no EAS tone)
Dust Storm Warning	DSW	Warning	This is issued when blowing dust is expected to severely decrease visibility.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	User settings
Excessive Heat Warning	None	Warning	This is issued when a heat index of 105° or greater occurs.	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Excessive Heat Watch	EHA	Watch	This is issued when conditions for extreme heat are favorable.	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Extreme Wind Warning	EWW	Warning	This is issued when there will be sustained surface winds of 100 knots or greater within an hour.	Possibly	Possibly	Yes
Fire Weather Watch	FWA	Watch	This is issued when conditions for a fire are favorable.	No	No	No
Fire Warning	FRW	Warning	This is issued when there is a major and uncontrollable fire.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flash Flood Watch	FFA	Watch	This is issued when conditions for flash flooding in flood-prone areas are likely.	On most stations	Unlikely	User settings
Flash Flood Warning	FFW	Warning	This is issued when a flash flood is occurring or is imminent.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flash Flood Statement	FFS	Statement	A statement-level event means that the event is only issued to give on update about an ongoing event.	Yes	Yes	Possibly
Flood Watch	FLA	Watch	This is issued when odds for a flood are favorable.	Possibly	Possibly	Possibly
Flood Warning	FLW	Warning	This is issued when a flood is occurring or is imminent.	Only on Xfinity and Comcast	Possibly	Yes
Flood Statement	FLS	Statement	This is issued to give updates about an ongoing flood.	Possibly	Yes	Possibly
Heat Advisory	None	Advisory	This is issued when hot temperatures occur.	No	Possibly	On the FEMA app
High Wind Watch	HWA	Watch	This is issued when there is potential for high winds to occur.	On the news	On the news	On the news
High Wind Warning	HWW	Warning	This is issued when high winds are about to occur.	Yes	Yes	Unlikely
Hurricane Watch	HUA	Watch	This is issued when a hurricane is expected within the next 48 hours.	No	No	No
Hurricane Warning	HUW	Warning	This is issued when a hurricane is expected within the next 36 hours.	Yes	Possibly	Yes
Hurricane Statement	HLS	Statement	This is issued to provide updates about hurricane conditions.	No	No	No
Red Flag Warning	RFW	Warning	This is issued when hot temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds are expected.	No	No	No
River Flood Warning	FLW	Warning	This is issued when a river exceeds the banks of the river.	Yes	Yes?	Yes
Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SVA	Watch	This is issued when a severe thunderstorm (above 58 mph and/or 1 inch hail) is expected to occur.	Yes	Yes	Possibly
Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SVR	Warning	This is issued when a severe thunderstorm is occurring or will occur.	Yes	Yes	Only if it includes the "Destructive" tag
Severe Weather Statement	SVS	Statement	This is issued to give an update on previous alerts regarding severe weather (such as Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm Warnings).	Possibly	Possibly	Possibly
Small Craft Advisory	None	Advisory	This is issued when wind speeds of 18 knots or higher are expected, or if there are wave heights of 4-7 feet.	No	No	No
Snow Squall Warning	SQW	Warning	This is issued when there is low visibility, gusty winds, and heavy snowfall related to a band of heavy snow showers.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Special Marine Warning	SMW	Warning	This is issued when there are potentially hazardous marine weather conditions.	Yes	Yes	No
Special Weather Statement	SPS	Statement	This is issued when there are weather events that are noteworthy but not significant enough for a warning.	Possibly	Possibly	No
Storm Surge Watch	SSA	Watch	This is issued when there is potential for a storm surge.	Possibly	Possibly	Possibly
Storm Surge Warning	SSW	Warning	This is issued when a storm surge is expected to happen within the next 36 hours.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tornado Watch	TOA	Watch	This is issued when conditions for a tornado are favorable.	Possibly	Possibly	No
Tornado Warning	TOR	Warning	This is issued when a tornado has formed or will move into the area.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tropical Storm Watch	TRA	Watch	This is issued when a nearby cyclone is possible to move into the area within the next 48 hours.	No	No	No
Tropical Storm Warning	TRW	Warning	This is issued when an approaching cyclone is about to make landfall in 36 hours or less.	Possibly	Possibly	Possibly
Tsunami Watch	TSA	Watch	This is issued when a tsunami is expected.	Yes	Possibly	Possibly
Tsunami Warning	TSW	Warning	This is issued when a tsunami is imminent.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Volcano Warning	VOW	Warning	This is issued when an eruption is happening or imminent.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Winter Storm Watch	WSA	Watch	This is issued when conditions for winter storms are favorable.	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
Winter Storm Warning	WSW	Warning	This is issued when a winter storm is imminent.	Yes	Yes	Yes

Non-weather related events

Event name	NWS-SAME code	Event level	This is issued when...	On TV?	On radio?	On cell phone?
911 Telephone Outage Emergency	TOE	Emergency	This is issued when there is state or local 911 telephone network outage.	Yes	Yes	Yes
BLUE Alert	BLU	Warning	This is issued when there was a violent or deadly attack on law enforcement and the suspect is on the loose.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	User settings
Child Abduction Emergency	CEA	Emergency	This is issued when a child has been kidnapped and is at risk of injury or death.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	User settings
Civil Danger Warning	CDW	Warning	This is issued when there is an imminent threat to civilian population.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	User settings
Civil Emergency Message	CEM	Warning	This is issued when there is an imminent threat to public safety.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	User settings
Evacuation Immediate	EVI	Warning	This is issued when a mandatory evacuation is underway.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Law Enforcement Warning	LEW	Warning	This is issued when criminal events posing a threat to public safety (jailbreaks, riots, bomb explosions) happen.	Uncommonly	Uncommonly	Commonly
Local Area Emergency	LAE	Advisory	This is issued when an event doesn't pose a significant threat to public safety, but can escalate or contribute to more serious events.	Yes	Yes	Yes
National Emergency Message / Emergency Action Notification	EAN	Warning	This is issued when there is a threat to the entirety of the United States (e.g. threat of a nuclear war).	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nuclear Power Plant Warning	NUW	Warning	This is issued when there was an accident at a nearby power plant.	Yes	Very Likely	Possibly
Radiological Hazard Warning	RHW	Warning	This is issued when there is a release of a radiological hazard.	Yes	Yes	Possibly
Shelter In Place Warning	SPW	Warning	This is issued when there is an event where the public would be recommended to stay inside.	Very Commonly	Rarely	Rarely
SILVER Alert	None	Warning	This is issued when an elderly person who is disabled or has a medical condition goes missing.	Varies by location	Varies by location	Yes

Administrative events

Event name	NWS-SAME code	Event level	This is issued when...	On TV?	On radio?	On cell phone?
Administrative Message	ADR	Advisory	This is issued when there is updated information about on ongoing event.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	Possibly (& user settings)
Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System	NPT	Test	This is issued to test the Emergency Alert System.	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Practice/Demo Warning	DMO	Test	This is also issued to test the Emergency Alert System.	Broadcaster choice	Broadcaster choice	No
Required Weekly Test	RWT	Test	This is issued weekly as to test the Emergency Alert System.	Yes	Yes	No
Required Monthly Test	RMT	Test	This is issued monthly as to test the Emergency Alert System.	Commonly	Commonly	Commonly

Defunct/Unimplemented events

Event name	NWS-SAME code	Event level	This would be issued when...	On TV?	On radio?	On cell phone?
Biological Hazard Warning	BHW	Warning	This would be issued when there is a presence of a biological hazard.	N/A
Boil Water Warning	BWW	Warning	This would be issued when a contaminant would be found in the water supply.
Chemical Hazard Warning	CHW	Warning	This would be issued when a hazardous chemical substance would be present in the area.
Contagious Disease Warning	DEW	Warning	This would be issued when an outbreak of a pathogen would happen.
Dam Watch	DBA	Watch	This would be issued when there is a possibly of a dam breaking.
Dam Break Warning	DBW	Warning	This would be issued when a dam break is imminent or happening.
Emergency Action Termination	EAT	Advisory	This would be issued when the threat of an Emergency Action Notification would no longer be active.	Yes	Yes	N/A
Flash Freeze Warning	FSW	Warning	This would have been issued when there is a rapid decrease in temperature (used in Canada).	N/A	Certain NOAA Weather radios	N/A
Food Contamination Warning	FCW	Warning	This would have been issued when a certain food (e.g. lettuce) has been contaminated.	N/A
Freeze Watch	FZA	Watch	This would have been issued when there is potential for significant and widespread freezing temperatures.
Freeze Warning	FZW	Warning	This would have been issued when widespread freezing temperatures are expected.
Iceberg Warning	IBW	Warning	This would have been issued when an iceberg that would be dangerous for marine travel has been confirmed.
Industrial Fire Warning	IFW	Warning	This would have been issued when a hazardous fire has spread in an industrial area.
Landslide Warning	LSW	Warning	This would have been issued when a landslide is happening or imminent.
National Informational Center	NIC	Advisory	This would have been issued to give an update on a Emergency Action Notification.	Yes	Yes	N/A
Special Marine Watch	SMA	Watch	This would have been issued when there are nearby hazardous Marine weather conditions.	N/A
Wildfire Warning	WFW	Warning	This would have been issued when a wildfire was occuring or will occur.

See also

• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Emergency Broadcast System
• Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
• Federal Communications Commission