The city of Paris is this week running a simulation of the capital's disastrous 1910 flood as part of an emergency-planning exercise.
Law enforcement are also taking part, and will send out test alert messages to people in the capital and its surrounding départements this week.
READ MORE: Paris simulates severe 1910 flood to prepare for future disaster
If you receive the alert, there is no need to contact law enforcement or emergency services. The alert should specify that it is a test.
Who will receive an alert?
People in the following départements will receive an alert to their phones;
Seine-et-Marne - Alert sent out on Monday, October 13th
Essonne - Alert sent out on Wednesday, October 15th, between 10am and 11am in the communes of Athis-Mons, Juvisy-sur-Orge, Vigneux-sur-Seine, and Viry-Châtillon
Seine-Saint-Denis - Wednesday, October 15th between 11am and 2pm, in the communes of Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen, L'Île-Saint-Denis, Neuilly-sur-Marne, Gournay-sur-Marne, and Noisy-le-Grand.
Val-de-Marne - Wednesday, October 15th between 11.30am and 12pm in the communes of Alfortville, Ivry-sur-Seine, Nogent-sur-Marne, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Joinville-le-Pont, Créteil, and Orly.
Paris - Wednesday, October 15th between 1pm and 1.30pm in the Beaugrenelle district of the 15th arrondissement.
The alerts are sent based on the location of your phone - so you will only get the alert if you are in the above areas at the precise time.
Alerts are sent to both French-registered and foreign phones unless the user has specifically opted out.
They arrive as a standard text message (SMS) but are accompanied by a loud alert noise, even if your phone is set to silent.
What are the alerts?
The alerts are part of France's 'FR-Alert' system, which became operational in June 2022 and is used to warn people of serious risks, from extreme weather and wildfires to major industrial accidents, terror attacks, and epidemic alerts.
The FR-Alert system is also used for test alerts when preparing for future hypothetical scenarios. In this
You do not need to sign up to receive the alert - it is automatic based on your location. Meaning - if you are in an area doing a test, then you ought to receive one.
READ MORE: FR-Alert: How France's emergency text alert system works
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