Here’s what that FEMA emergency alert on your phone means

ORLANDO, Fla. – Cellphones across the country will light up at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday as federal agencies put their emergency system to the test.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Federal Communications Commission are doing a periodic test of its Emergency Alert System. The test typically appears on television and radio stations with a blaring warning sound. In recent years, agencies have been adapting this notification for cellphones.

Not all cellphones will buzz at the same time though.

People who have opted to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts from FEMA will get a push alert on their phone with a high-pitch tone and a message warning it’s a test. Wednesday’s notification would be the sixth nationwide test of the cell phone alert system.

Such notifications could warn of large-scale and potentially dangerous weather events or public emergencies at the local or federal level. Here’s how to opt-in for the notifications.

Wednesday’s test could be delayed due to severe weather in certain areas. The backup test run is scheduled for Aug. 25.