It’s only a test. Here’s why Catawba Nuclear won’t assume it’s routine this time.
There’s a time when emergency sirens blaring throughout York County shouldn’t cause public alarm.
Duke Energy wants folks to know when.
Catawba Nuclear Station plans to test its sirens April 8. It’s a routine test, one Duke plans months in advance. It requires no public action. Yet for this one, Catawba Nuclear wants to get the word out a little more than usual.
With the COVID-19 coronavirus, there isn’t any routine.
“With so many people working at home who aren’t normally there during the day, and with all the anxiety around the coronavirus, we wanted to make sure people realize that this is not an emergency,” said Sara Collins, Catawba Nuclear spokesperson. “This is a normal test.”
Full volume siren tests happen between 10 a.m. and noon at Duke sites on the second Wednesday of each quarter. Sirens around Catawba Nuclear test for three minutes at a time in January, April and July. All nuclear plant sirens test for three minutes in October.
Pole-mounted sirens are located within a 10-mile radius of each nuclear plant Duke operates in the region. If a siren goes off at an unscheduled time, that’s worth public attention. Sirens are designed to alert people outdoors to go inside and tune into a local radio or television station for more information. It doesn’t necessarily mean evacuate, but rather to get public information from the state or county.
Sirens therefore could be used not only for an emergency at the nuclear station, but to alert anyone nearby to seek information in events like hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding or hazardous spills. Sirens blare in repetition, loud enough to be heard for several miles but often heard better outside than indoors.
Because poles are stationary and schedules fixed, people near enough to hear the sirens during testing often understand what’s happening.
“Most people know about them, and they’re used to understanding that it’s no big deal,” Collins said.
The April 8 test for Catawba Nuclear area sirens will begin at 11:50 a.m. It will last three minutes. Catawba Nuclear has 89 sirens within 10 miles. They span all three counties surrounding Lake Wylie — York along with Mecklenburg and Gaston in North Carolina.
For more information, visit duke-energy.com.
