Kauai residents warned of statewide one-minute siren, EAS test Feb. 2

All statewide outdoor warning sirens will sound a one-minute steady tone at 11:45 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, when the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) conducts its routine monthly siren and Emergency Alert System (EAS) test. The live audio broadcast segment of the EAS will be tested at roughly the same time in cooperation with the Hawai‘i broadcast industry.

HI-EMA and county emergency offices stress this is a scheduled monthly test and not an actual incident. Officials say there will be no exercise or drill accompanying the test. The statewide Outdoor Siren Warning System for Public Safety is one part of the Hawai‘i Statewide Alert and Warning System used to notify the public during emergencies; the monthly runs help verify that multiple layers of warning - outdoor sirens, broadcast interruptions and Wireless Emergency Alerts - remain operational across the islands.

For Kauai County residents this means you will likely hear the siren in urban and rural neighborhoods alike at 11:45 a.m. The EAS live audio check may result in brief broadcast audio tests on local radio and television, and compatible mobile phones may receive Wireless Emergency Alerts that deliver both sound and text. Hoodline notes that those Wireless Emergency Alerts are dispatched through the nationwide Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, managed by FEMA, underscoring the multiple systems that feed into island emergency notifications.

If you hear the siren at any time other than the scheduled monthly test, follow official emergency information and instructions from government channels. Local radio or television broadcasts and cellular Wireless Emergency Alerts are among the authoritative sources HI-EMA points to for guidance during an actual emergency.

Residents who observe siren malfunctions or have questions can report issues or seek county-level help. Kauaʻi County Emergency Management can be reached at 808-241-1800. Other county contacts are Hawaiʻi County 808-935-0031, City and County of Honolulu 808-723-8960, and Maui County 808-270-7285. The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency main switchboard is (808) 733-4300 and the agency fax number is (808) 733-4287. For preparedness guidance, consult HI-EMA’s Get Ready resources.

The monthly test is one of the routine maintenance steps that keeps the islands’ layered warning system reliable. For Kauai residents, the takeaways are simple: expect the siren and possible mobile alerts at 11:45 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2, report any malfunctions to Kauaʻi County Emergency Management, and rely on official broadcast and WEA messages if sirens sound outside the test window.