At approximately 12:30AM AEDT today (8:30AM local time), the National Weather Service sent a test tsunami warning to an unknown number of people. It was not immediately obvious to some that the alert of an impending, destructive force of nature was a test – and at least one-third party app, AccuWeather, reportedly pushed it out as a genuine alert in multiple US states.
Image: Emily Lipstein/Gizmodo
Just get this to your phone?! Be sure to check the fine print. It’s just a test. I don’t like how the alert comes over though looking like a real alert. #nws #tsunami #warning TEST pic.twitter.com/5DvaBms4it
— Matt Hammer (@MattHammer12) February 6, 2018
All morning, local NWS Twitter accounts have been trying to reduce the confusion their alert – in conjunction with the genuine panic caused by erroneous warnings from AccuWeather – has caused. Accuweather itself has restated that the NWS alert was a test, but has not clarified why it was not sent out as such by its mobile app.
Anyone have a recommendation for good weather app? I’m not sure I trust this one #mewx #tsunami #maine pic.twitter.com/fa1wKYs7C6
— Jeremy (@DSky3) February 6, 2018
For what it’s worth, Tsunami.gov currently shows two earthquakes on the entire planet, and both are more than two points shy of the 7.5 magnitude usually required to cause a tsunami. Historically, tsunamis almost never hit the East Coast of the US.
This widespread piece of misinformation follows a false missile attack warning sent to residents of Hawaii last month, and precedes a congressional hearing “on the effectiveness of the emergency alert system” scheduled for 2AM AEDT (10AM local time) this morning.