What's A WEA And How To Stop It?

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - New Yorkers were not happy last month when they were awoken at 4:20 am to the less than mellifluous crazy loud buzzing of their cell phones.

Nope, not a drunk friend. It was a WEA -- a Wireless Emergency Alert -- sent by the National Weather Service to let people know there might be flash flooding. Yep, awakened to be warned it's raining.

Remember the days when you'd hear "this is a test of the emergency broadcast system. It is only a test (pretty much of how fast you could change the station)?"

That 1950s era technology has given way to new law along with new technology which, according the Federal Communications Commission, allows preauthorized national, state, or local governments may send emergency alerts on extreme weather conditions, local emergencies, Amber Alerts, and Presidential Alerts during a national emergency.

And nope, you didn't accidentally subscribe—your wireless carrier sends it automatically.

How do you opt out? You can talk to your cell phone carrier to discuss how to change settings so as not to receive emergency or Amber Alerts. By law you can't opt out of receiving Presidential alerts for national emergencies so to avoid those in the middle of the night, you'll have to move your cell phone off your nightstand.