Alaska Tsunami Warning System Test Scheduled
Emergency Alert Activation Part of Tsunami Awareness Week
March 24, 2009
Tsunami damage at Kodiak, Alaska, following the 1964 Good Friday earthquake.
High resolution (Credit: NOAA)
NOAA and its emergency management partners will be conducting a statewide test of the tsunami warning communications system on Wednesday, March 25 at 9:45 a.m.
The emergency test will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, local television and radio stations, and residents in some communities may hear warning sirens. To avoid any confusion with an actual alert the test will be canceled if there is excessive seismic activity 24 hours prior to the test.
Many television systems are programmed to scroll a standard emergency alert text message and in some cases, the message may not contain the word “TEST.” An audio message will say that the warning is a test, but if the volume is turned down or otherwise unheard, viewers may not realize the warning is a test.
People monitoring the test in coastal areas who do not receive it are asked to inform their local National Weather Service office. The public can provide feedback online.
North end of Resurrection Bay at Seward, Alaska, about 75 km from the epicenter after the 1964 tsunami struck.
HIgh resolution (Credit: NOAA)
The test is part of Tsunami Awareness Week, proclaimed by Gov. Sarah Palin as March 22 to 28, and is a cooperative effort of NOAA’s National Weather Service, Alaska’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, local emergency management offices and the Alaska Broadcasters Association.
During Tsunami Awareness Week, emergency managers are encouraging coastal residents to review information on what to do in the event of a tsunami. NOAA’s West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center Web site offers complete information, including the current status of tsunami watches, warnings and advisories. A list of frequently asked tsunami questions and answers can be found online.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.