Upcoming Live Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) Test

From Ryan Wilkinson - Eaton County Emergency Manager

"I wanted to take a moment and highlight the live WEA test that should be received by ALL cell phones in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham County on Wednesday, March 19 at 12:59 pm. When you think of a WEA, imagine receiving an AMBER Alert. There is a distinct alert tone, the sound repeats multiple times in quick succession, and phones  vibrate intensely. We have the ability at the county level to issue WEAs when there is an imminent threat to life or property OR when there are concerns for other public safety situations (e.g., water supply failure, 911 telephone outage, etc.). The threat must affect a large area of the political jurisdiction, such that it is impractical to alert, warn, or notify those affected using other means, such as mobile public address announcements, social media, opt-in alerting, door-to-door notifications, media briefings, etc.

I have attached a graphic that includes the verbiage used for the test. If you would like additional graphics promoting Severe Weather Awareness Week and the Statewide Tornado Drill, here is the 2025 Severe Weather Awareness Week and Statewide Tornado Drill Media Toolkit.

A major public information and education campaign will launch across Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham County starting March 12, 2025, to raise awareness about the test and other Severe Weather Awareness Week activities. As part of this effort, many local agencies will be sharing the notice of the WEA test on social media."