A civil emergency message (SAME code: CEM) is a warning issued through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in the United States to warn the public of a significant in-progress or imminent threat to public safety. It is typically issued by a local or state authority and is relayed by the National Weather Service. The warning is a higher priority than a local area emergency (LAE), but it's less specific than a civil danger warning (CDW). For example, the warning could be used to describe an alert issued by the National Terrorism Advisory System.