Tsunami warning-system test set for Washington, Oregon, California this morning

The National Weather Service tested its tsunami-warning system this morning along the West Coast to make sure the alert system was working.

The test message was designated for coastal communities throughout western Washington.

At the same time, the Weather Service used the alert as an earthquake drill for some schools and businesses.

Normally, the alert would say the magnitude of an earthquake, where it occurred and whether a tsunami was likely, said Jeff Michalski with the National Weather Service. But today's test will only ask if the alert was received, Michalski said.

"This is a test transmission for dissemination of tsunami information," he said.

The Weather Service broadcast the test alert through its Emergency Alert System (EAS) on NOAA radio.

The earthquake drill was statewide in a joint effort with Washington State Emergency Management.

There are more than 1,000 NOAA Weather Radio stations across the nation with 22 serving Washington state. More than 96 percent of the state's population is served by NOAA Weather Radio.

In 1975, NOAA Weather Radio was designated the sole government-operated radio system to provide warning information for both natural and technological hazards.