No Tsunami Warning: NOAA Message Was a Scheduled Test Across U.S. East and Gulf Coasts

A tsunami message distributed across numerous U.S. coastal areas on Wednesday was a scheduled communications test, not a real tsunami warning.

The National Weather Service and National Tsunami Warning Center had planned the test for September 16, 2026, covering coastal areas along the Gulf Coast and U.S. East Coast.

The test footprint included areas from Texas and Louisiana through Florida, the Carolinas, New York and New England.

NOAA had stated in advance that the message was not intended for the public and should not be treated as an operational tsunami alert.

There is no indication that the test represented an actual tsunami threat to the listed states.

The widespread alert appears to have been generated from a routine tsunami communications test rather than a real emergency.