What is the Emergency Alert System (EAS)?
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a nationwide public warning system in the United States that allows government agencies, such as the National Weather Service (NWS), FEMA, and local, state, and tribal emergency managers to deliver urgent alerts to the public via radio, television, and digital broadcasts.
Originally designed for national emergencies, the EAS is now used for weather alerts, AMBER Alerts, civil emergencies, and more. It ensures critical messages reach as many people as possible during life-threatening situations.
How Are Weather Alerts Delivered So Quickly?
When the National Weather Service issues a weather alert such as a Tornado Warning or Flash Flood Warning, the alert is instantly encoded and sent over NOAA Weather Radio using SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding). These messages are picked up by EAS participants monitoring NOAA Weather Radio and are immediately rebroadcasted across the EAS network.
The process is nearly instantaneous and highly automated. Radio and TV stations, as well as cable systems and certain IP streams, relay these alerts in real time. In many cases, EAS alerts reach the public 5 to 15 minutes before Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) or mobile weather app push notifications, which often experience delays due to carrier routing or server processing.
This speed advantage exists because EAS alerts are transmitted directly to broadcasters and emergency equipment without depending on cell towers or internet-based delivery systems. Furthermore, redundancies exist in the network which helps during severe weather events when radio stations and EAS equipment often get knocked offline due to power outages or infrastructure damage.
Minnesota Emergency Alert System Live Stream
This stream relays all EAS alerts received through our SAGE DIGITAL ENDEC for Minnesota counties.
| Stream Type | Audio Player |
|---|---|
| Primary Stream |
At Bemidji WX, we take your safety seriously. Our real-time EAS ENDEC stream monitors and rebroadcasts alerts across Minnesota to give our community the earliest possible warning - often before alerts reach your phone.
Note: Audio may be delayed by up to 30 seconds from the original broadcast.
Log of Recent EAS Relays
This log includes the most recent Emergency Alert System relays for the Bemidji area captured by our SAGE DIGITAL ENDEC.
| EAS Status | Alert Received at 07/16/25 11:00:09 |
|---|---|
| Alert Description | The National Weather Service has issued a Required Weekly Test for all of Minnesota, Grand Forks, ND, all of North Dakota, and Polk, MN beginning at 10:59 AM and ending at 11:14 AM (SAGE EAS) |
| EAS Protocol Data | ZCZC-WXR-RWT-027000-038035-038000-027119-038999+0015-1971559-SAGE EAS- |
| EAS Status | Alert Received at 07/16/25 10:59:39 |
|---|---|
| Alert Description | The National Weather Service has issued a Required Weekly Test for Hubbard, MN, all of Minnesota, Cass, MN, Beltrami, MN, and Clearwater, MN beginning at 10:59 AM and ending at 11:14 AM (KFGF/NWS) |
| EAS Protocol Data | ZCZC-WXR-RWT-027057-027000-027021-027007-027029-027997+0015-1971559-KFGF/NWS- |
| EAS Status | Alert Sent at 07/14/25 23:25:31 |
|---|---|
| Alert Description | The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Cass, MN, Beltrami, MN, Clearwater, MN, and Hubbard, MN beginning at 11:25 PM Mon Jul 14 and ending at 6:25 AM Tue Jul 15 (BELTRAMI) |
| EAS Protocol Data | ZCZC-WXR-SVA-027021-027007-027029-027057+0700-1960425-BELTRAMI- |