Multnomah County will send an emergency test alert Thursday to the phones of nearly 1 million people.
Residents and visitors alike can expect a text message and alarm-like sound around 2 p.m., as part of the county’s testing procedures.
County officials are telling residents that no action is required once they receive the message. They’re just testing the system to identify potential problems before it is used in an actual emergency. Recipients should not call 911, 211 or 311.
“The best time to find out if this alert system works is before an actual emergency. We need to know if it works as intended, and for that, we need your help,” Emergency Management Director Chris Voss said in a press release.
Residents in neighboring counties could also receive the alert due to “potential overspray.”
Areas potentially impacted outside of Multnomah include:
- Clackamas County, Oregon
- Columbia County, Oregon
- Hood River County, Oregon
- Washington County, Oregon
- Cowlitz County, Washington
- Clark County, Washington
- Skamania County, Washington
The rare test follows deadly flash flooding last month in Texas and wildfires a year ago in Hawaii, where insufficient or non-existent emergency notifications were blamed for numerous deaths.
Union Station sits as a train awaits departure from Portland, Ore. on June 26, 2025. Union Station is known as one of the city’s major transportation hubs, hosting stops for multiple Amtrak routes and other trains.
Morgan Barnaby / OPB
Residents who have their phones turned off, in airplane mode, or connected to a virtual private network elsewhere will not receive the alert. Others can make sure they are opted-in in their phone settings.
Voss said the alert on Thursday should look like this:
“"TEST - Multnomah County is testing its Wireless Emergency Alert system. This message confirms that your phone can receive emergency alerts. In an actual emergency, this system would be used to share potentially life-saving information. NO ACTION is required. Visit https://arcg.is/0mDLjG to complete a survey regarding this TEST. END OF TEST" ”
