BALTIMORE, MD—On Monday afternoon, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency will send state residents a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA).

The alert system is used to send important, life-saving information to Marylanders.

The WEA is meant to alert residents  to Governor Larry Hogan’s stay-at-home order that was issued on Monday morning.

What you need to know about WEAs:

• WEAs can be sent by state and local public safety officials, the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the President of the United States
• WEAs can be issued for three alert categories – imminent threat, AMBER, and presidential
• WEAs look like text messages, but are designed to get your attention and alert you with a unique sound and vibration, both repeated twice
• WEAs are no more than 90 characters, and will include the type and time of the alert, any action you should take, as well as the agency issuing the alert
• WEAs are not affected by network congestion and will not disrupt texts, calls, or data sessions that are in progress
• Mobile users are not charged for receiving WEAs and there is no need to subscribe
• To ensure your device is WEA-capable, check with your service provider