MENDOCINO Co, CA, 3/27/23 — If you receive a tsunami warning between 11 a.m. and noon on Wednesday, March 29, don’t rush to evacuate! The National Weather Service (NWS) is testing its Emergency Alerting System (EAS) to ensure communications work properly in Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties in the event of an actual tsunami.
The exercise will include interruptions on TV and radio stations, activation of NOAA weather radios, and tsunami sirens. The Civil Air Patrol will also fly the coastline testing its public address system.
The full details from a news release below, as well as advice on tsunami preparations:
When: The National Weather Service will be conducting a communications exercise on March 29, 2023, between 11:00 AM and 12:00 Noon.
Where: Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties.
How: The exercise will be testing the Emergency Alerting System (EAS) which will have interruptions on TV and Radio Stations, and activation of NOAA Weather Radios, and Tsunami Sirens. The Civil Air Patrol will also fly the coastline testing its public address system.
Why: This exercise is designed to test the Tsunami Warning System to ensure that it works properly during a real tsunami event.
HOW THIS TEST WILL AFFECT YOU: If you are watching television between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Wednesday morning, expect to see a crawler at the bottom of the screen indicating that a tsunami warning has been issued, and hear a voice indicating that it is only a test. If you don’t hear the TV audio, please remember that this is only a test. If you are listening to the radio, you will hear alerting tones followed by a voice announcing that the test is occurring. If you have a NOAA weather radio with the Public Alert feature, the radio will automatically turn on and you will hear the same message as broadcast on radios. In some areas, you may also hear the sounding of a tsunami siren, an airplane testing its public address system, or receive other communication tests in some local jurisdictions. The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system will NOT be activated for this test.
Please help us by providing any feedback regarding this test by emailing: [email protected]
When you hear or see the warning test on March 29 between 11:00 a.m. & 12:00 Noon:
- You do NOT need to take any action
- Do NOT call 911 or local authorities
- Do NOT evacuate your home or business
THIS IS ONLY A TEST!!
PREPARE: Find out more about preparing for earthquakes, tsunamis, or any other disasters on the North Coast at: https://rctwg.humboldt.edu.
America’s PrepareAthon! https://www.ready.gov/prepareathon
The Great California Shakeout https://www.shakeout.org/california/
and The Tsunami Zone (https://www.TsunamiZone.org) are also great places to get preparedness information for natural hazards.
Note: Kate Fishman covers the environment & natural resources for The Mendocino Voice in partnership with a Report For America. Her position is funded by the Community Foundation of Mendocino, Report for America, & our readers. You can support Fishman’s work with a tax-deductible donation here or by emailing [email protected]. Contact her at KFishman@mendovoice.com or at (707) 234-7735. The Voice maintains editorial control and independence.
