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'Civil Emergency' Alert Accidentally Broadcast By National Weather Service

It was only a test, but it didn't come across that way.

The National Weather Service inadvertently sent out a civil emergency message while testing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio.

The National Weather Service inadvertently sent out a civil emergency message while testing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio.

Photo Credit: Contributed

At about 6:35 p.m. Saturday, television viewers in much of the area saw their regular programming interrupted with the loud beeps that have become familiar with tests of the Emergency Broadcast System.

However, instead of the familiar statement that it was only a test of the system, the announcement stated that there was a civil emergency in parts of two states: two counties in New York and four counties in Connecticut.

The National Weather Service said it had intended to send out a test on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio but mistakenly sent out an actual emergency alert.

The NWS of New York released the following statement:

"The National Weather Service inadvertently sent out a civil emergency message while testing the NOAA Weather Radio. This message had no text within it and was only disseminated through NOAA Weather Radio. We are sorry for any interruptions in communications this has caused."

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