Emergency alerts in New York will be expanded for greater accessibility. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a mandate requiring Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) to include American Sign Language and 13 additional languages. These alerts, delivered to cell phones during events such as severe weather or public safety emergencies, were previously available mainly in English, with some messages in Spanish. The change is intended to provide critical information to a wider audience.
Efforts to expand language support in emergency alerts have been ongoing, with New York Attorney General Letitia James participating in the process. According to a press release, the update is intended to provide guidance to millions of people during emergencies and natural disasters. The change follows a multistate letter, led by James in November 2025, urging the FCC to take action.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs), which operate similarly to text messages, are used by government agencies to communicate quickly with the public. Previously available mainly in English and more recently in Spanish, this limitation restricted access for some people. Under the FCC’s new mandate, alerts will be offered in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, as well as in American Sign Language. Carriers are required to update their systems to support these languages by June 12, 2028.
The expansion of emergency alerts affects approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers who are not proficient in English or Spanish. Attorney General James emphasized that access to emergency information should be available regardless of language. The wider availability of alerts in multiple languages is expected to improve public safety for communities that have previously had limited access to such information. With the FCC’s Multilingual Alerts Order now in effect, more people will have access to clear guidance during emergencies.
