Homeland Security Advisory System

Current Threat Level

May 6, 2009

• The United States government's national threat level is Elevated, or Yellow.
• For all domestic and international flights, the U.S. threat level is High, or Orange. See the Transportation Security Administration for up-to-date information on items permitted and prohibited on airlines.

Recommended Activities

• All Americans should continue to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to local authorities immediately.
• Everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kit and emergency plan for themselves and their family, and stay informed about what to do during an emergency.

About the Homeland Security Advisory System

The Homeland Security Advisory System is designed to guide our protective measures when specific information to a particular sector or geographic region is received.  It combines threat information with vulnerability assessments and provides communications to public safety officials and the public.  

• Homeland Security Threat Advisories contain actionable information about an incident involving, or a threat targeting, critical national networks or infrastructures or key assets.
• Homeland Security Information Bulletins communicate information of interest to the nation’s critical infrastructures that do not meet the timeliness, specificity, or significance thresholds of warning messages.
• Color-coded Threat Level System is used to communicate with public safety officials and the public at-large through a threat-based, color-coded system so that protective measures can be implemented to reduce the likelihood or impact of an attack.

This system was established in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3.