Amendment of the Emergency Alert System, 53039-53045 [2016-18962]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 155 (Thursday, August 11, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 53039-53045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18962]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 11

[PS Docket No. 15-94; FCC 16-80]


Amendment of the Emergency Alert System

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC 
or Commission) revises its rules governing the Emergency Alert System 
(EAS) to add three new EAS event codes, covering extreme wind and storm 
surges, as well as revise the territorial boundaries of the geographic 
location codes for two offshore marine areas.

DATES: Effective September 12, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Fowlkes, Deputy Bureau Chief, 
Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at (202) 418-7452, or by 
email at Lisa.Fowlkes@fcc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order 
(Order) in PS Docket No. 15-94, FCC 16-80, adopted on July 6, 2016, and 
released on July 11, 2016. The full text of this document is available 
for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC 
Reference Center (Room CY-A257), 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 
20554. The full text may also be downloaded at: www.fcc.gov.

Synopsis of the Order

    1. The Order revises the Part 11 EAS rules to add three new EAS 
event codes, covering extreme wind and storm surges, as well as revise 
the territorial boundaries of the geographic location codes for two 
offshore marine areas. The Commission initiated this proceeding in 
response to a request from the National Weather Service (NWS) of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that the 
Commission adopt these revisions to harmonize the EAS with the NWS's 
weather radio system. Virtually all commenters addressing these 
revisions supported their adoption.

I. Background

    2. The EAS is a national public warning system through which 
broadcasters, cable systems, and other EAS Participants deliver alerts 
to the public to warn them of impending emergencies and dangers to life 
and property. The primary purpose of the EAS is to provide the 
President with ``the capability to provide immediate communications and 
information to the general public at the national, state and local 
levels during periods of national emergency.'' The EAS also is used by 
state and local governments, as well as the NWS, to distribute alerts. 
According to NWS, about 90 percent of all EAS activations are generated 
by NWS and relate to short-term weather events. The Commission, the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and NWS implement the EAS 
at the federal level. The EAS is a broadcast-based, hierarchical alert 
message distribution system through which an alert message originator 
at the local, state or national level encodes (or arranges to have 
encoded) a message in the EAS Protocol, which provides basic 
information about the emergency involved. The message is then broadcast 
by one or more EAS Participants and subsequently relayed from one 
station to another until all affected EAS Participants have received 
the alert and delivered it to the public. This process of EAS alert 
distribution among EAS Participants is often referred to as the ``daisy 
chain'' distribution architecture.
    3. The EAS Protocol utilizes fixed codes to identify various 
aspects of the alert. Of particular relevance to the Order, the EAS 
Protocol utilizes a three-character ``event code'' to describe the 
nature of the alert (e.g., ``TOR'' signifies tornado). The EAS Protocol 
identifies ``National'' event codes, such as the EAN and National 
Periodic Test (NPT), which EAS Participants use as part of required 
Presidential alerts and tests,

[[Page 53040]]

and which EAS Participants are required to disseminate, and ``State and 
Local'' event codes, such as Amber alerts and weather-related alerts 
issued by the NWS, which EAS Participants disseminate on a voluntary 
basis. In addition, the EAS Protocol utilizes six-digit numerical 
location codes to identify the geographic area(s) to which the alert 
applies. Unlike the state and territory geographic location codes, 
which are based on an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 
standard, the codes assigned to the offshore marine areas were created 
by the NWS and adopted by the Commission in 2002 at NWS's request, 
following notice and opportunity for public comment.

II. Discussion

A. Proposed EAS Event Codes

    4. NWS requested that the Commission add a new ``Extreme Wind 
Warning'' (EWW) event code to provide the public with advance notice of 
the onset of extreme sustained surface winds (greater than or equal to 
115 miles per hour) associated with a major land-falling hurricane 
(Category 3 or higher). NWS also requested that the Commission add two 
new event codes covering storm surges: ``Storm Surge Watch'' (SSA) and 
``Storm Surge Warning'' (SSW). NWS indicated that the ``Storm Surge 
Watch/Warning will be issued when there is a significant risk of life-
threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the 
ocean.''
    5. Decision. We grant NWS's request and revise Section 11.31 of the 
EAS rules to add the EWW, SSA and SSW event codes to the EAS Protocol. 
As we observed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NWS NPRM) in PS 
Docket No. 15-94, 80 FR 47886 (Aug. 10, 2015), there is considerable 
data attesting to the dangers posed to life and property by both high 
winds and, in particular, storm surges, associated with hurricanes. 
While the EAS Protocol currently contains event codes covering 
hurricanes, these codes only generally warn of an impending hurricane--
they do not specifically cover extreme high winds associated with a 
Category 3 or higher hurricane or storm surges associated with a 
hurricane. The record demonstrates that existing event codes contained 
in the EAS Protocol are not adequate substitutes for the adoption of 
the EWW, SSA and SSW event codes. As NWS has observed, for example, use 
of the TOR event code during prior hurricanes led to confusion among 
the public and the dissemination of incorrect risk-avoidance advice. 
Monroe County Florida Emergency Management observes that ``[c]oastal 
residents may know or have an anticipated expectation regarding the 
impact of flood warnings which may be due in part to wind, tide, or 
heavy rain[, and] that anticipation can be confused unless the wording 
used is completely different as proposed.'' We do not find that the 
public interest would be served by relying on inadequate warnings that 
might provide incorrect or even opposite remedial advice to the public. 
Based on the record before us and the subject matter expertise of the 
NWS, we conclude that adoption of the event codes proposed by the NWS 
will improve the function of the EAS, enhance safety of life and 
property, and therefore is in the public interest.
    6. We do not find EAS equipment manufacturer, TFT, Inc.'s (TFT), 
arguments against adoption of the new event codes persuasive. The 
dangers posed by hurricane-induced extreme high winds and storm surges 
are well established, and the record in this proceeding establishes a 
need and desire for adoption of these codes to better address such 
dangers. The National Association of Broadcasters, for example, states 
that ``[e]xplicit codes for storm surges and warnings would better 
reflect their rapid development and movement than the existing codes 
for a flood watch or warning, or other water-related situations.'' 
Radio Hatteras states that ``[t]he addition of EWW, SSA and SSW codes 
would significantly enhance public safety in coastal regions'' TFT's 
objection that the public will not appreciate the nuances between the 
specific dangers posed by extreme winds and storm surges caused by a 
hurricane and the dangers posed generally by the hurricane itself has 
no support in the record. Monroe County Florida Emergency Management, 
for example, contends that ``[s]tudies show, the public is more likely 
to follow protective action recommendation, such as evacuations or 
shelter in place, or limit travel, if the directives are clearly and 
concisely communicated to them.'' Moreover, the NWS indicates that 
having the new codes become effective in the summer of 2016 will 
provide the NWS sufficient time to conduct outreach and education on 
the meaning of these new codes before the NWS begins to issue alerts 
using these codes for the 2017 hurricane season. The outreach and 
education that NWS intends to conduct will include a public education 
campaign, including ``public service announcements over NWR; NWS News 
Releases; official NWS Service Change Notifications; advertising on NWS 
Web sites; updates to official preparedness brochures and pamphlets; 
briefings to emergency managers; presentations at federal, state and 
local hurricane conferences; concurrent outreach and partnering efforts 
with FEMA; and extensive community outreach efforts by the NWS Warning 
Coordination Meteorologist in every Weather Forecast Office impacted by 
tropical cyclones.''

B. Proposed Geographic Location Code Revisions

    7. NWS also requested that the Commission revise the areas defined 
in the geographic location codes identified in Section 11.31(f) of the 
EAS rules as location codes 75 and 77, which cover offshore marine 
areas. Specifically, NWS indicated that it has changed the end point it 
uses for generating weather alerts for both of these areas from Bonita 
Beach, Florida, to Ocean Reef, Florida, and, accordingly, requested 
that the area covered by location code 75 be changed to ``Western North 
Atlantic Ocean, and along U.S. East Coast, south of Currituck Beach 
Light, NC, following the coastline to Ocean Reef, FL, including the 
Caribbean,'' and that the area covered by location code 77 be changed 
to ``Gulf of Mexico, and along the U.S. Gulf Coast from the Mexican 
border to Ocean Reef, FL.'' NWS stated that harmonizing the definitions 
for these areas in the EAS rules to match those used by the NWS would 
alleviate potential confusion among broadcasters, the emergency 
management community and the maritime commerce community that issue and 
monitor alerts for these areas. NWS again noted that it had checked 
with several EAS encoder/decoder manufacturers, and was informed that 
the cost and time to make the requested change would be nominal.
    8. Decision. We grant NWS's request and change the defined areas 
identified in Section 11.31(f) of the EAS rules for location codes 75 
and 77 to ``Western North Atlantic Ocean, and along U.S. East Coast, 
south of Currituck Beach Light, NC, following the coastline to Ocean 
Reef, FL, including the Caribbean,'' and ``Gulf of Mexico, and along 
the U.S. Gulf Coast from the Mexican border to Ocean Reef, FL,'' 
respectively. These definitional changes amount to minor modifications 
to location definitions created and used by the NWS. Further, 
harmonizing the Part 11 definitions for these locations with those used 
by the NWS is necessary to ensure that the SMW and other marine-
specific alerts reach their intended audiences. Such action also should 
eliminate any potential for confusion that might otherwise exist among 
EAS

[[Page 53041]]

Participants, the emergency management community and the maritime 
commerce community in the event that the EAS rules and NWS used 
different location definitions. We also observe that EAS equipment 
manufacturers have confirmed that these changes can be implemented by 
EAS Participants via software downloads with minimal effort.
    9. We do not find TFT's arguments against adoption of the new 
location codes persuasive. Whether these codes are widely used or not, 
we do not see what public interest would be served by allowing 
continued disharmony between the EAS definitions and those used by the 
NWS, particularly as these could lead to marine alerts not reaching 
their intended audiences as well as confusion among the maritime users 
operating in these geographic areas, potentially placing the safety of 
vessels and their crews at risk. Further, EAS Participants may install 
and utilize the revised codes as they deem fit, and we find that the 
EAS Participants that actually use these codes are best situated to 
determine whether use of the revised location codes is necessary and 
meaningful to the areas they serve.
    10. Finally, we also revise footnote 1 of Section 11.31 to delete 
the reference to the past deadline and to clarify that the numbers 
assigned to the offshore marine areas listed in the table of geographic 
areas in Section 11.31(f), while consistent with the ANSI standard, are 
not a product of that standard, but rather were assigned by the NWS. No 
party commented on that proposed change, which in any event, is largely 
administrative in nature. We conclude that harmonizing the definitions 
in the EAS with those used by the NWS will eliminate the potential for 
needless confusion among EAS Participants, the emergency management 
community and the maritime commerce community as to the geographic 
application of these codes, and maintain the efficiency of marine 
operations and safety of vessels and their crews.

C. Cost Benefit Analysis

    11. The Commission observes that EAS equipment manufacturers have 
indicated in the record that the new codes and code revisions can be 
implemented by EAS Participants via minimally burdensome and low-cost 
software downloads. Further, use of these codes is not mandatory for 
EAS Participants; EAS Participants are free to implement them if and 
when they see fit, thus reducing the overall costs to EAS Participants 
even further.
    12. We observe that although EAS equipment manufacturers must make 
the new event and locations codes available to all EAS Participants, 
these manufacturers have indicated in the record that the codes can be 
implemented by EAS Participants via minimally burdensome and low cost 
software downloads. Further, use of these codes is not mandatory for 
EAS Participants; EAS Participants are free to implement them if and 
when they see fit, thus reducing the overall costs to EAS Participants 
even further. While some currently deployed legacy EAS device models 
may not be capable of being updated to accommodate these codes, we 
observe that any such equipment already is required to be replaced to 
accommodate the recently adopted NPT event code and ``000000'' 
geographic code for national testing no later than July 30, 2016, thus, 
no EAS Participant will be faced with the cost of obtaining new EAS 
equipment simply to use the new event codes and geographic locations 
code revisions adopted in this item.
    13. Based on the record, we anticipate that the only cost to EAS 
Participants who elect to install these new event codes and geographic 
location code revisions will be whatever labor cost is involved in 
downloading the software patches into their devices and associated 
clerical work. We further anticipate that such installation would not 
on average take more than one hour. However, even using a worst case 
cost figure of $125.00 per device--which figure represents the labor 
cost estimate approved by the Office of Management and Budget for an 
EAS Participant to fill out the Commission's online reporting form for 
EAS National Tests at a total time expenditure of five hours--the cost 
of implementing these codes are far exceeded by the benefits they 
provide. At a per-unit cost of $125.00, even if all EAS Participants 
elected to implement these codes (an unlikely event in areas not prone 
to hurricanes), the aggregate cost of adopting these new codes would be 
approximately $3.5 million.
    14. With respect to benefits, we have proposed that the benchmark 
for measuring these types of expected benefits should be the value of a 
statistical life (VSL), currently estimated at $9.1 million. 
Accordingly, the value of this risk reduction to the public, measured 
in terms of expected lives saved, is at least $9.1 million, which far 
exceeds the one-time, highly conservative $3.5 million aggregated cost 
estimate if each and every EAS Participant across the U.S. elected to 
implement these new codes and code revisions. Furthermore, this 
expected benefit is a conservative valuation because the EAS is likely 
to save more than just one life in the event of a storm surge or 
extreme high winds caused by a Category 3 or higher hurricane, will 
accrue annually, and does not include the benefits associated with 
reducing injuries and associated medical costs, mitigating property 
damage, and minimizing the disruption of our national economy. 
Accordingly, we conclude that the minor burdens associated with 
adopting these codes will be more than offset by the benefits to public 
safety that will accrue from the introduction of these new codes into 
the EAS alerting framework.

D. Implementation Schedule

    15. Decision. We believe that the prompt deployment of alerts using 
these new codes is consistent with the safety of the public in affected 
areas. Accordingly, we require EAS equipment manufacturers to integrate 
these codes into equipment yet to be manufactured or sold, and make 
necessary software upgrades available to EAS Participants no later than 
six months from the effective date of the rule amendments adopted in 
this Order. We observe that EAS equipment manufacturers already have 
confirmed that these code changes can be implemented fairly easily in 
the field, and no manufacturer has indicated that implementing such 
changes on the production line would present any difficulties or 
require any more time than six months. We also allow EAS Participants 
to upgrade their existing EAS equipment to include the new event and 
location code revisions on a voluntary basis until their equipment is 
replaced. We observe that this approach is the same approach taken by 
the Commission the only other time that it adopted new event and 
location codes, and the record does not indicate that any problems 
arose as a result of that approach.
    16. We will not mandate installation of these codes. First, the 
event codes and location code revisions adopted in this item are 
germane to only a relatively small subset of EAS Participants located 
in areas affected by hurricane high winds and storm surges. We believe 
EAS Participants in these areas already are highly motivated to install 
and use these codes, as demonstrated by NWS's surveys. Second, as 
indicated, this approach is consistent with the approach taken by the 
Commission the only other time it adopted event and location codes, and 
that time the Commission adopted codes that were germane to all EAS 
Participants. Third, the use by EAS Participants of these codes, like 
all State

[[Page 53042]]

and local event codes, is and has always been voluntary, and no 
commenter has presented any arguments as to why that should not 
continue to be the case.
    17. Although we are not mandating that EAS Participants upgrade 
their existing EAS equipment to incorporate the new event codes and 
location code revisions, we will require EAS Participants who replace 
their EAS equipment after one year from the effective date of this 
Order to install EAS equipment that is capable of receiving and 
transmitting the new event codes and revised location codes. Thus, 
after this deadline, EAS Participants may not replace their existing 
EAS equipment with used equipment or older models of equipment that has 
not been upgraded to incorporate the new codes. This will ensure that 
all EAS Participants have the capability to receive and transmit the 
new codes when their EAS equipment is replaced. We observe that this 
approach is consistent with that taken by the Commission in the Report 
and Order in EB Docket No. 01-66, 67 FR 18502 (April 16, 2002), and 
allows for a transition of deployed equipment that mirrors ordinary 
equipment replacement cycles for those EAS Participants that do not 
have an immediate need to install the new codes.
    18. With respect to transitioning to the new codes, NWS has 
indicated that it will not initiate alerts using any of the proposed 
codes until the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season. The NWS states that 
focusing on the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season will allow the NWS to 
deploy the codes in a uniform manner, and will allow for an extensive 
public outreach program. The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season falls well 
outside of the six month deadline we adopt today for equipment yet to 
be manufactured or sold and the one year deadline we require for EAS 
Participants who replace their EAS equipment. Thus, EAS Participants 
will have sufficient time to install the codes or purchase compliant 
equipment in time for the NWS actual adoption of the codes. Because the 
NWS implementation dates for the proposed codes fall outside of our 
deadlines, and because the NWS will only deploy the codes after an 
extensive education and outreach program, we believe that the NWS will 
be able to deliver the appropriate alerts to all recipients without the 
need for any transition period where it issues alerts using both codes. 
We also believe that the deadlines we adopt today are consistent with 
the NWS schedule, as any extra time between our deadline and the NWS's 
actual use of the codes in an alert will allow EAS equipment 
manufacturers and EAS Participants time to resolve any technical issues 
that may arise.

III. Procedural Matters

A. Accessible Formats

    19. To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).

B. Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    20. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, see 5 
U.S.C. 603, the Commission has prepared a Final Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis (FRFA) of the possible significant economic impact on small 
entities of the policies and rules addressed in this document.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act Analysis

    21. This document does not contain proposed information 
collection(s) subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13. In addition, therefore, it does not contain any new 
or modified information collection burden for small business concerns 
with fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork 
Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).

D. Congressional Review Act

    22. The Commission will send a copy of this Order to Congress and 
the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional 
Review Act (``CRA''), see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

E. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    23. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, as 
amended (RFA), an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) was 
included in the NWS NPRM. The Commission sought comments on the IRFA. 
Because the Order amends the Commission's rules, this Final Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) conforms to the RFA.
1. Need for, and Objectives of, the Order
    24. This Order adopts changes to the Commission's Part 11 rules 
governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Specifically, the Order 
adds three new EAS Event Codes, covering extreme wind (``Extreme Wind 
Warning'') and storm surges (``Storm Surge Watch'' and ``Storm Surge 
Warning''), and revises the territorial boundaries of geographic 
location codes 75 and 77 used by the EAS. These rule revisions improve 
the capacity of the EAS to warn the public of impending threats to life 
and property, and ensure that the geographic definitions of location 
codes 75 and 77 utilized by the EAS are harmonized with those employed 
by the National Weather Service (NWS).
2. Summary of Significant Issues Raised by Public Comments in Response 
to the IRFA
    25. The Small Business Administration (SBA) filed no comments in 
this proceeding, and there were no other comments specifically 
addressed to the IRFA.
3. Description and Estimate of the Number of Small Entities to Which 
Rules Will Apply
    26. The RFA directs agencies to provide a description of and, where 
feasible, an estimate of, the number of small entities that may be 
affected by the rules adopted herein. The RFA generally defines the 
term ``small entity'' as having the same meaning as the terms ``small 
business,'' ``small organization,'' and ``small governmental 
jurisdiction.'' In addition, the term ``small business'' has the same 
meaning as the term ``small business concern'' under the Small Business 
Act. A ``small business concern'' is one which: (1) Is independently 
owned and operated; (2) is not dominant in its field of operation; and 
(3) satisfies any additional criteria established by the SBA. The 
following are categories of small entities that may be affected by the 
rules adopted in the Order: Small Businesses, Small Organizations, and 
Small Governmental Jurisdictions; Television Broadcasting (including 
commercial television stations; licensed noncommercial educational 
stations; licensed Class A stations; licensed low power television 
stations; and licensed TV translators); Radio Stations (including low 
power FM stations); Wired Telecommunications Carriers; Incumbent Local 
Exchange Carriers (Incumbent LECs); Competitive Local Exchange Carriers 
(Competitive LECs), Competitive Access Providers (CAPs), Shared-Tenant 
Service Providers, and Other Local Service Providers; Satellite 
Telecommunications; Direct Broadcast Satellite (``DBS'') Service; and 
``All Other Telecommunications'' (comprised of establishments primarily 
engaged in providing specialized telecommunications services, such as 
satellite tracking, communications telemetry, and radar station 
operation).
4. Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other 
Compliance Requirements
    27. None.

[[Page 53043]]

5. Steps Taken To Minimize the Significant Economic Impact on Small 
Entities and Significant Alternatives Considered
    28. The RFA requires an agency to describe any significant, 
specifically small business alternatives that it has considered in 
reaching its conclusions, which may include the following four 
alternatives (among others): ``(1) The establishment of differing 
compliance or reporting requirements or timetables that take into 
account the resources available to small entities; (2) the 
clarification, consolidation, or simplification of compliance or 
reporting requirements under the rule for small entities; (3) the use 
of performance, rather than design, standards; and (4) an exemption 
from coverage of the rule, or any part thereof, for small entities.''
    29. The rule changes adopted in this Order implement certain EAS 
warning codes and location code definitional changes that are unique, 
and implemented by small entity and larger-sized regulated entities on 
a voluntary basis. Thus, the Order does not mandate burdens on 
regulated entities of any size. Moreover, the record in this proceeding 
indicates that the costs associated with voluntarily implementing the 
codes contained in the Order should be de minimis or non-existent.
    30. Report to Congress: The Commission will send a copy of the 
Order, including this FRFA, in a report to be sent to Congress and the 
Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional Review 
Act. A copy of the Order and FRFA (or summaries thereof) will also be 
published in the Federal Register.

IV. Ordering Clauses

    31. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that pursuant to Sections 1, 2, 
4(i), 4(o), 301, 303(r), 303(v), 307, 309, 335, 403, 624(g), 706, and 
715 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 
154(i), 154(o), 301, 303(r), 303(v), 307, 309, 335, 403, 544(g), 606, 
and 615, this Order IS ADOPTED.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 11

    Radio, Television.

Federal Communications Commission.
Gloria J. Miles,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.

Final Rules

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR part 11 as follows:

PART 11--EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS)

0
1. The authority citation for part 11 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154 (i) and (o), 303(r), 544(g) and 
606.

0
2. Section 11.31 is amended by revising paragraphs (e) and (f) to read 
as follows:


Sec.  11.31  EAS protocol.

* * * * *
    (e) The following Event (EEE) codes are presently authorized:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Nature of activation                     Event codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Codes (Required):
Emergency Action Notification (National      EAN.
 only).
National Information Center................  NIC
National Periodic Test.....................  NPT.
Required Monthly Test......................  RMT.
Required Weekly Test.......................  RWT.
State and Local Codes (Optional):
Administrative Message.....................  ADR.
Avalanche Warning..........................  AVW.
Avalanche Watch............................  AVA.
Blizzard Warning...........................  BZW.
Child Abduction Emergency..................  CAE.
Civil Danger Warning.......................  CDW.
Civil Emergency Message....................  CEM.
Coastal Flood Warning......................  CFW.
Coastal Flood Watch........................  CFA.
Dust Storm Warning.........................  DSW.
Earthquake Warning.........................  EQW.
Evacuation Immediate.......................  EVI.
Extreme Wind Warning.......................  EWW.
Fire Warning...............................  FRW.
Flash Flood Warning........................  FFW.
Flash Flood Watch..........................  FFA.
Flash Flood Statement......................  FFS.
Flood Warning..............................  FLW.
Flood Watch................................  FLA.
Flood Statement............................  FLS.
Hazardous Materials Warning................  HMW.
High Wind Warning..........................  HWW.
High Wind Watch............................  HWA.
Hurricane Warning..........................  HUW.
Hurricane Watch............................  HUA.
Hurricane Statement........................  HLS.
Law Enforcement Warning....................  LEW.
Local Area Emergency.......................  LAE.
Network Message Notification...............  NMN.
911 Telephone Outage Emergency.............  TOE.
Nuclear Power Plant Warning................  NUW.
Practice/Demo Warning......................  DMO.
Radiological Hazard Warning................  RHW.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning................  SVR.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch..................  SVA.

[[Page 53044]]

 
Severe Weather Statement...................  SVS.
Shelter in Place Warning...................  SPW
Special Marine Warning.....................  SMW.
Special Weather Statement..................  SPS.
Storm Surge Watch..........................  SSA.
Storm Surge Warning........................  SSW.
Tornado Warning............................  TOR.
Tornado Watch..............................  TOA.
Tropical Storm Warning.....................  TRW.
Tropical Storm Watch.......................  TRA.
Tsunami Warning............................  TSW.
Tsunami Watch..............................  TSA.
Volcano Warning............................  VOW.
Winter Storm Warning.......................  WSW.
Winter Storm Watch.........................  WSA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (f) The All U.S. State, Territory and Offshore (Marine Area) ANSI 
number codes (SS) are as follows. County ANSI numbers (CCC) are 
contained in the State EAS Mapbook.
    (f) The All U.S., State, Territory and Offshore (Marine Area) ANSI 
number codes (SS) are as follows. County ANSI numbers (CCC) are 
contained in the State EAS Mapbook.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               ANSI No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
All U.S....................................................           00
State:.....................................................
    AL.....................................................           01
    AK.....................................................           02
    AZ.....................................................           04
    AR.....................................................           05
    CA.....................................................           06
    CO.....................................................           08
    CT.....................................................           09
    DE.....................................................           10
    DC.....................................................           11
    FL.....................................................           12
    GA.....................................................           13
    HI.....................................................           15
    ID.....................................................           16
    IL.....................................................           17
    IN.....................................................           18
    IA.....................................................           19
    KS.....................................................           20
    KY.....................................................           21
    LA.....................................................           22
    ME.....................................................           23
    MD.....................................................           24
    MA.....................................................           25
    MI.....................................................           26
    MN.....................................................           27
    MS.....................................................           28
    MO.....................................................           29
    MT.....................................................           30
    NE.....................................................           31
    NV.....................................................           32
    NH.....................................................           33
    NJ.....................................................           34
    NM.....................................................           35
    NY.....................................................           36
    NC.....................................................           37
    ND.....................................................           38
    OH.....................................................           39
    OK.....................................................           40
    OR.....................................................           41
    PA.....................................................           42
    RI.....................................................           44
    SC.....................................................           45
    SD.....................................................           46
    TN.....................................................           47
    TX.....................................................           48
    UT.....................................................           49
    VT.....................................................           50
    VA.....................................................           51

[[Page 53045]]

 
    WA.....................................................           53
    WV.....................................................           54
    WI.....................................................           55
    WY.....................................................           56
Terr.:
    AS.....................................................           60
    FM.....................................................           64
    GU.....................................................           66
    MH.....................................................           68
    PR.....................................................           72
    PW.....................................................           70
    UM.....................................................           74
    VI.....................................................           78
Offshore (Marine Areas) \1\
    Eastern North Pacific Ocean, and along U.S. West Coast            57
     from Canadian border to Mexican border................
    North Pacific Ocean near Alaska, and along Alaska                 58
     coastline, including the Bering Sea and the Gulf of
     Alaska................................................
    Central Pacific Ocean, including Hawaiian waters.......           59
    South Central Pacific Ocean, including American Samoa             61
     waters................................................
    Western Pacific Ocean, including Mariana Island waters.           65
    Western North Atlantic Ocean, and along U.S. East                 73
     Coast, from Canadian border south to Currituck Beach
     Light, N.C............................................
    Western North Atlantic Ocean, and along U.S. East                 75
     Coast, south of Currituck Beach Light, NC, following
     the coastline to Ocean Reef, FL, including the
     Caribbean.............................................
    Gulf of Mexico, and along the U.S. Gulf Coast from the            77
     Mexican border to Ocean Reef, FL......................
    Lake Superior..........................................           91
    Lake Michigan..........................................           92
    Lake Huron.............................................           93
    Lake St. Clair.........................................           94
    Lake Erie..............................................           96
    Lake Ontario...........................................           97
    St. Lawrence River above St. Regis.....................           98
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The numbers assigned to the offshore marine areas listed in this
  table are not described under the ANSI standard, but rather are
  numeric codes that were assigned by the National Weather Service.

[FR Doc. 2016-18962 Filed 8-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P