AUSTIN, Texas — Emergency alerting systems are getting a statewide test this week. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is using the drill to evaluate the effectiveness of the alerts as public warning tools.
“Regular training and testing of public warning systems builds readiness before disaster strikes and is an important component of community safety,” said Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. “Conducting drills to reaffirm procedures, promote confidence in technological tools, and identify potential shortfalls is key to ensuring these systems operate with precision, accuracy, and timeliness when they are needed the most.”
Thursday, April 2, is the designated day for the drill. Central Texas residents need to sign up for the subscription-based alerts at warncentraltexas.org.
“They were the most horrifying three hours of my life, actually,” said Sandy Creek flood victim Ashlee Willis.
Willis lost her home and nearly her life during the Sandy Creek floods in July of 2025. Even now, she cannot believe she survived the devastating wave of water.
“I called mom and said goodbye. I just knew we were not going to make it, there was just no way,” said Willis,
On Tuesday, Austin and Travis County leaders announced one step being taken to improve the emergency alert system.
“This is a first-of-its-kind statewide test,” said Austin Mayor Kirk Watson during a press conference at City Hall.
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Watson said the drill will help them evaluate the effectiveness of the warning tools being used to send emergency messages to the public.
“This is too important not to practice,” said Mayor Watson. “We want to get it right every single time. Our communities are depending on us, so we are going to practice and we are going to prepare.”
The first statewide test for emergency alerting systems is set for Thursday between 10 and 11:30 a.m.
“If you do not receive an alert, one, make sure you register for Warn Central Texas at WarnCentralTexas.org. Two, go into your settings on your mobile devices and make sure that in the alerts, you can receive those public safety alerts,” said Jim Redick, Director of Austin Emergency Management.
Texas has the highest reported opt-out rate in the nation. 29.5% of Texans are opting out of at least one Wireless Emergency Alert, compared with 17.5% nationally.
“We have met with industry standard experts who do messaging for FEMA and other agencies and really changed the way we craft our messages, making sure that they are very clear, concise, and leave no ambiguity,” said Redick.
Redick said AMBER Alerts appear to be the biggest driver of Texas’s opt-out problem. In Texas, 22.2% reported opting out of AMBER Alerts, which is far higher than the national AMBER opt-out rate of 11.2%. RAND points to Texas’s history of issuing a substantial number of statewide AMBER Alerts as a likely explanation.
City and county leaders are hoping that the need to be prepared for floods and wildfires will encourage more Texans to sign up for the free subscription-based alerts.