The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will conduct a city-wide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system on Friday, September 5, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time. This test is part of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a nationwide capability designed to deliver critical public safety alerts. At the scheduled time, individuals in the Houston area with WEA-mobile capable devices will receive the following message:

“TEST Wireless Emergency Alert from the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management: No Action Required. TEST ALERT. For more information visit HoustonOEM.org.”

An alert will also go out in Spanish, for those who have their phone settings set to Spanish. The alert in Spanish will say:

“PRUEBA de Alerta Inalámbrica de Emergencia de la Oficina de Manejo de Emergencias de Houston: No se requiere acción. ALERTA DE PRUEBA. Para más información, visite HoustonOEM.org.”

Some folks with older mobile devices may receive a shorter version of this message.

Who Will Receive the Test: Anyone located within the City of Houston jurisdiction with a WEA-capable mobile device on September 5 between 11:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. will receive the test. Each person will only receive one alert—either in English or in Spanish—based on their phone’s language setting. No one should receive more than one alert. While the WEA test is intended only for people in the City of Houston, the system is based on cell tower coverage, not exact jurisdiction lines. This means some neighboring areas may also receive the alert.

Why We Test: Testing public alert systems is essential to ensure they work properly in the event of a real emergency. Timely and accurate alerts can save lives during severe weather, chemical incidents, active threats, or other urgent hazards. The WEA system allows Houston OEM to send geographically targeted alerts to mobile devices in situations where immediate life-saving action is required. These alerts are rare and are only used during the most critical emergencies.

Understanding Houston’s Emergency Alert Strategy: Houston uses a tiered approach to public alerting:

  • WEA Alerts (Wireless Emergency Alerts):
    These are issued through the federal IPAWS system and go to all compatible cell phones in a defined area. They are only used for life-threatening emergencies that require immediate lifesaving action.
  • AlertHouston:
    For less urgent but still important situations—like flash flood watches, roadway impacts, or severe weather awareness—OEM uses the AlertHouston system. This is a free, opt-in service where residents can receive texts, emails, or voice messages. To sign up, visit HoustonOEM.org or text “AlertHouston” to 888777.
  • Everyday Preparedness:
    On clear “blue sky” days, OEM shares helpful tips and preparedness information through social media, community events, and education campaigns.

Check Your Emergency Alert Settings: We strongly urge residents to enable their emergency alerts in case of an imminent threat. These alerts could save your life. To receive Wireless Emergency Alerts, your phone must have alerts enabled in your device settings.

  • iPhone:
    Go to Settings > Notifications, scroll to the bottom under Government Alerts, and ensure Emergency Alerts are turned ON.
  • Android:
    Go to Settings > Safety & Emergency > Wireless Emergency Alerts, and make sure Allow Alerts are enabled.

Note: Houston OEM does not send AMBER Alerts. We only use the WEA system for critical emergency alerts impacting public safety. We strongly urge residents to enable their emergency alerts in case of an imminent threat.