SURRY, Va. - The Surry Nuclear Power Station that powers 420,000 homes will test emergency alert systems on Wednesday.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) said it will conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the early warning siren system on Wednesday, March 9 at 11:10 a.m.
Nearby residents will hear a steady three-minute tone that will be sounded by 71 sirens in Williamsburg, Newport News, and the counties of Surry, James City, York, and Isle of Wight.
The sirens are located within a 10-mile radius of the power station and this tone will sound for the early warning siren system.
The VDEM added that the Wireless Emergency Alerts and the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System will not be used in this test so residents should not expect to get messages on their devices.
In a real emergency situation, "residents would hear four separate three-minute activations of the early warning siren system, each separated by a one-minute silent interval. The total elapsed time for actual emergency notification is 15 minutes," VDEM said.
