RICHMOND — A test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the early warning siren system will be conducted Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 11:10 a.m. for the Surry Power Station.
State officials, led by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), will conduct the test in coordination with the local officials and Dominion Energy. Siren and EAS tests take place at the Surry Power Station on a quarterly basis.
A steady three-minute tone will be sounded by 71 sirens located within a 10-mile radius of the power station in Williamsburg, Newport News, and the counties of Surry, James City, York, and Isle of Wight.
The EAS test, made available through participating radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers, is scheduled to last approximately one minute.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management notes that the transition from sirens to the wireless emergency alert system is currently on hold until final approval is received from FEMA.
In an actual emergency, residents would hear four separate three-minute activations of the early warning siren system, each separated by a one-minute silent interval, for a total elapsed time of 15 minutes. In that situation, residents should listen to local and state officials and local media outlets that broadcast emergency information for updates and instructions, according to a Virginia Department of Emergency Management press release.
Emergency guides are mailed to surrounding households and additional information about the siren system, emergency notifications, and safety planning can be found on Dominion Energy’s website.
