A test of Georgia’s emergency alert system may have given you cause for concern Thursday morning.
Some may have seen the radiological emergency warning as a notification on their smartphone. Others reported seeing the warning scroll across their TV screens.
The Georgia Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security said there is no need to worry. It was, after all, only a test.
“You may have received a **TEST** emergency alert this morning regarding a radiological emergency in Georgia,” the agency said on Twitter. “We regularly test our emergency alert systems to ensure they are working properly and this was a ONLY A TEST MESSAGE. There is no radiological emergency.”
While Georgians are used to widespread alerts for severe weather events or missing children, several took to Twitter wondering just what would constitute a radiological emergency. According to the National Weather Service, a radiological hazard warning alerts the public to the loss, discovery or release of a radiological hazard.
A warning of that type could be issued if radioactive materials are spilled, like in a traffic accident, or stolen.
Others on Twitter had their own ideas.
Some took issue with mixed messaging. One alert read “EAS RADIOLOGICAL HAZARD WARNING THIS IS A TEST TAKE SHELTER!!!!!,” leaving concerned Georgians wondering if they should hunker down or simply turn down the volume on their TVs.
The Georgia test was received as far away as Florida, Alabama and South Carolina, according to AL.com. Why the alert went out to surrounding states is unclear, the news site reported.
No further information about the test has been released.
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