BE PREPARED EL PASO!! If your phone suddenly starts screaming at you on Thursday morning don’t panic. No it’s not the apocalypse (or at least that’s what they’re telling us!) It’s just Texas being extra prepared.

Residents across El Paso (and all of Texas) will get a loud, very attention-grabbing alert as part of a statewide emergency system test happening Thursday, April 2. 

According to El Paso Fire Department officials this is just a drill and it is not a real emergency, not a warning, and definitely not time to panic-text your group chat!

Courtesy: Getty Images

Courtesy: Getty Images

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When Can You Expect The EAS in El Paso

The alerts will roll out between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., but El Paso gets its moment a little later than the rest of Texas because of the time zone difference. Expect your phone, TV, radio, and even landlines to join in on the chaos very briefly. (Wait, ya’ll still have landlines?!)

And before anyone spirals on TikTok conspiracy theories: officials confirmed this has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Iran. (Again… or so they tell us!)

Officials say that It’s simply a coordinated statewide test led by the Texas Division of Emergency Management to make sure everything works when it actually matters.

Courtesy: Getty Images

Courtesy: Getty Images

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The drill includes systems like Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and IPAWS aka the tech that warns you about serious situations like severe weather, public safety threats, or major emergencies.

The noise might be scary and annoying, but it’s all part of keeping communities safe. Think of it as your phone doing a quick fire drill. Loud, slightly annoying, but necessary.

So again, when your phone goes off… don’t go to Walmart and buy all the toilet paper and water bottles. It’s literally just a test. (….or so they tell us…)

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