Civil Emergency Message

Civil Emergency Message (SAME CODE: CEM) is a warning created by the National Weather Service meant to warn of an in-progress or imminent significant threat(s) to public safety and/or property. The CEM is a higher priority message than the Local Area Emergency (LAE), but the hazard is less specific than the Civil Danger Warning (CDW). For example, the CEM could be used to describe an alert issued by the National Terrorism Advisory System.

Examples of a Civil Emergency Message

A mandatory evacuation of lower South Carolina issued during the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, before the hurricane was expected to reach the state:

469
WOUS42 KCHS 052015
CEMCHS
SCC013-015-019-029-035-053-052315-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY COLUMBIA SC
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
415 PM EDT WED OCT 5 2016

...GOVERNOR ORDERS EVACUATION OF COASTAL AREAS...

FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION ON BEHALF OF
THE GOVERNORS OFFICE.

THE GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS MANDATING AN EVACUATION
EFFECTIVE AT 3 PM TODAY. THE EVACUATION ORDER INCLUDES ALL PEOPLE
IN CERTAIN COASTAL EVACUATION ZONES OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
CHARLESTON...DORCHESTER AND BERKELEY COUNTY...EVACUATION ZONES A,
B, C, D, E, F, G, AND I. COLLETON COUNTY...EVACUATION ZONE A.
BEAUFORT COUNTY EVACUATION ZONE A. JASPER COUNTY EVACUATION ZONE
A. 

THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY...THE SOUTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND SUPPORTING AGENCIES WILL
REVERSE THE DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC ALONG CERTAIN EVACUATION ROUTES
TO EASE THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AWAY FROM THE COAST. TRAVEL WILL ONLY
BE POSSIBLE IN ONE DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE COAST ON THOSE ROUTES
WHILE THE EVACUATION IS IN PROGRESS.

SOUTH CAROLINAS EMERGENCY HELPLINE IS ACTIVE AT 1-866-246-0133.

$$

ST

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BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
OKLAHOMA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY NORMAN OKLAHOMA
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
850 PM CDT SAT AUG 4 2012

THIS MESSAGE IS FROM THE CITY OF ALTUS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
OFFICE AND IS SENT AT THE REQUEST OF PUBLIC WORKS.

BECAUSE OF A POWER FAILURE AT TOM STEED RESERVOIR...THE WATER
SUPPLY HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY INTERRUPTED. ALTUS WATER CUSTOMERS ARE
ASKED TO REFRAIN FROM UNNECESSARY WATER USE UNTIL 6 PM SUNDAY
AUGUST 5TH. AGAIN...DO NOT WATER LAWNS...WASH CARS...AND RUN WATER
INTO THE STREET BECAUSE OF THE POWER FAILURE AT TOM STEED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS REQUEST.

$$

^[2]

OKC065-160430-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
CITY OF ALTUS
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
457 PM CST TUE JAN 15 2013

THIS MESSAGE IS FROM THE CITY OF ALTUS OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AND IS SENT AT THE REQUEST OF ADMINISTRATION. THE CITY OF
ALTUS IS UNDER MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION. WE REQUEST YOUR HELP
WHILE THE LINE FROM TOM STEED LAKE IS BEING REPAIRED. PLEASE DO NOT
WATER OUTSIDE. WE ARE SWITCHING TO WATER FROM THE RESERVOIR, AND YOU
WILL NOTICE A CHANGE IN THE TASTE AND ODOR OF THE WATER.

REPEATING, THE CITY OF ALTUS IS UNDER MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION
WHILE REPAIRS ARE MADE TO A LINE FROM TOM STEED LAKE.

$$

$$

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References

• Definitions of Colors on the National Weather Service Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley Website Map
• NWS Lubbock, TX Non-weather Emergency Messages Page

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "Non-weather Related Emergency Message Description Guidelines".