03-26-2008, 07:27 AM
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Member
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 847
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Tsunami Test
STATE OES, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE & HUMBOLDT COUNTY SLATED TO
CONDUCT
LIVE
TEST OF TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM ON MARCH 26
EUREKA, CA - The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services
(OES),
the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services and the National
Weather
Service (NWS) will join forces on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, to conduct
the
first-ever "live" test of the ability to warn California residents of a
potential tsunami by transmitting the actual tsunami code instead of
test
codes.
The test will take place in Humboldt County between 10:15 a.m. and 10:45
a.m. with activation of the Emergency Alert System by the NWS office in
Eureka, and will be transmitted to the public via local radio and
television stations that serve the coastal communities of Humboldt
County.
Additionally, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration's
(NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards system will be activated.
Alerting the public about the upcoming test is paramount. Humboldt
County
residents who listen to radio or television during the test period are
likely to hear the standard alerting tone prior to a message that
indicates
a test is under way. However, television viewers may not see the word
"TEST" in the crawler at the bottom of their television screens since
"live," rather than test, codes are being used.
"We are making every effort to alert the public about this test and make
sure they understand that the announcement they hear on March 26th is a
test and not an actual emergency," said OES Director Henry Renteria.
"Testing the actual warning message code is critical to ensure we know
exactly what will happen with our communication systems before an actual
tsunami event," said Renteria.
"It is important that anyone visiting the area from other parts of
Humboldt
County, adjoining counties and other areas of the state and nation who
hear
the alert tone on that day understand this is just a test," added
Renteria.
"Humboldt County presents us with a unique opportunity to pilot test
this
important communications exercise before expanding it to other coastal
counties," added Renteria.
Residents of Humboldt County are among the most familiar in the country
with tsunamis and, according to test coordinators, the location of NOAA
Weather Radio transmitters there make it very unlikely that the test
message will bleed into neighboring counties or cause undue confusion
about
the test.
To prepare north coast residents for the test, representatives from
state
OES, the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services, and the NWS have
been coordinating a public awareness effort featuring flyers and public
service announcements on local radio and television stations to inform
all
regional residents, including disabled populations.
Residents of Humboldt County have been encouraged to participate in the
test by completing a survey on the test activity at:
http://www.weather.gov/tsunamitest.php.
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