Not once in the 19.years I have been living here has the emergency broadcast system been used for an actual emergency. We've had a couple of derechos and tornadoes in the area during that time during which no emergency broadcast system notifications happened.
Everyone has a phone, spending should be on better cell coverage rather than local disaster warning systems would be a far better use of funds.
Funding for starlink for summer camps would also be a better use of funds.