Another one of those "Officials are at a loss to explain....." reports:

Alaska Public Radio reporting that officals in Alaska are shrugging their shoulders trying to explain why the standard test of the emergency broadcast system cut in in the middle of the Weather Broadcast for I believe KIMO earlier today, obviously alarming both listeners and broadcasters.

-- (snowleopard6@webtv.net), January 12, 2000

Answers

When I was on the air on Saturday morning, the EAS cut in but didn't say anything - no message - no test message - nothing - the light lit up, the mike came on, but nada. It was very weird.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), January 12, 2000.

That is interesting. It also happened in Hampton, Va. while I was watching T.V. during the roll over. Probably just some engineer bumping the button...

-- Michael Erskine (Osiris@urbanna.net), January 12, 2000.

May not be related, but on Monday night (1/3) there was a tornado watch on in our area (Tennessee), and our weather alert radio went on as usual, but for awhile they gave reports that said storm was expected to hit such and such a town "by 5:30 p.m." and this was already around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. I've never heard it do that before.

-- Observer (observer@work.com), January 12, 2000.

FEMA.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 12, 2000.

Fire at Arctic radar station, Victoria Island. ?????

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.tree), January 12, 2000.

Observer It sounds like your NWS office has swapped over to those new automated alert messages. there have been a few bugs they have been working out in Cleve for a while.

C

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 12, 2000.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

Here's an earlier thread on tests of the emergency broadcast system.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), January 13, 2000.

Squirrel: Where is Victoria Island ? There is Vancouver Island, where the city of Victoria is. But that is British Columbia (@ lat.49*N) and that is along ways from the arctic.

-- Capt Dennis (capden@hotmail.com), January 13, 2000.