Hi there, Ciscoe. A few street tree Butterfly Magnolias growing in a planting strip next to a City Light facility are showing signs of a disease. I’m stumped as to what is causing this problem. Any ideas? Many thanks!  HEIDI

Don’t be alarmed when you receive an emergency alert on your cell phone tomorrow.  All cell phones, radios and television sets across the nation tomorrow will be receiving the test alert.  It’s a test of the national Integrated Public Alert and Warning System – known as IPAWS.  The message on your phone will read: THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” 

FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – says the test is being done to help ensure that Wireless Emergency alerts (WEA) for cell phones and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for radios and TVs continue to be effective ways to warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.

The WEA test will be sent to all consumer cell phones. The message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

"All major U.S. wireless providers participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts and will transmit the national test to their subscribers," according to FEMA. "If your mobile phone is on and within range of an active cell tower from a participating wireless provider, you should receive the national test. 

Wireless providers will transmit the national test for 30 minutes, but your phone should only receive it once."

The EAS Emergency Alert System portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. The test is set for 11:20AM Pacific Time tomorrow.

FEMA says it’s a standard test that occurs at least once every three years.