Why people in the Paris region might receive an emergency alert this week

"If you are in Paris or the surrounding area this week, you might receive an emergency alert message on your phone - part of a large-scale flood-planning exercise. The city of Paris is this week running a simulation of the capital's disastrous 1910 flood as part of an emergency-planning exercise. Law enforcement are also taking part, and will send out test alert messages to people in the capital and its surrounding départements this week."

"Who will receive an alert? People in the following départements will receive an alert to their phones; Seine-et-Marne - Alert sent out on Monday, October 13th. Essonne - Alert sent out on Wednesday, October 15th, between 10am and 11am in the communes of Athis-Mons, Juvisy-sur-Orge, Vigneux-sur-Seine, and Viry-Châtillon. Seine-Saint-Denis - Wednesday, October 15th between 11am and 2pm, in the communes of Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen, L'Île-Saint-Denis, Neuilly-sur-Marne, Gournay-sur-Marne, and Noisy-le-Grand."

"The alerts are sent based on the location of your phone - so you will only get the alert if you are in the above areas at the precise time. Alerts are sent to both French-registered and foreign phones unless the user has specifically opted out. They arrive as a standard text message (SMS) but are accompanied by a loud alert noise, even if your phone is set to silent."

Paris is conducting a city simulation of the 1910 flood this week as part of flood-planning and emergency-preparedness exercises with law enforcement participation. Test alert messages will be sent to phones located in specified départements on set dates and times, with a detailed schedule for Seine-et-Marne, Essonne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne and a Beaugrenelle district test in Paris. Recipients should not contact emergency services when receiving the test; the alert will indicate it is a test. Alerts are location-based, sent to both French-registered and foreign phones unless opted out, and arrive as loud SMS signals even in silent mode. The FR-Alert system became operational in June 2022.

Read at The Local France