Hear the sound of sirens coming from the Catawba Nuclear Station? This is why.

Emergency sirens will fill the air around Catawba Nuclear Station on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The station, operated by Duke Energy, has 89 sirens within a 10 mile radius, which will all sound at once.

Most citizens should hear nothing; with the newly implemented “Growl Test,” the most you will hear is a low growling sound, Emergency Management Director Chuck Haynes said.

If you do hear or see anything: there is no nuclear emergency. It’s simply a test to make sure the alarm system is working, officials with Duke Energy said.

The sirens will sound for five to 30 seconds, but some may need to be tested multiple times afterward.

The nuclear power station is at 4800 Concord Road in York, on a peninsula that reaches into Lake Wylie. Around 200,000 people live within a 10-mile radius of that address and will most likely hear sirens.

If you hear the alarms, don’t panic. You do not need to complete any sort of drill. Officials have asked that residents do not call 911.

If there were ever a true emergency, officials say, local broadcasting stations would interrupt programming to broadcast instructions and information to the public.

This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 7:53 AM.