Counties Will Test Emergency Alert Sirens and Systems on Thursday

It has to be done, testing of emergency sirens for Benton and Franklin Counties.

Get our free mobile app

The testing will happen on Thursday, October 19th between 10 am and 12 noon. Sirens on the Columbia and Yakima rivers in both counties will be tested. From Benton County Emergency Services:

The DOE & Energy Northwest testing will be heard in Richland, specifically the Horn Rapids area, and may reach North Richland and beyond.

Canva

According to Energy Northwest, it's a mandatory test. No action is required.

The sirens will be heard throughout these areas and along the Columbia River between the Vernita Bridge and Leslie Groves Park in north Richland. Sirens will also be heard at the Horn Rapids Off-Road Vehicle Park, the firing range on Horn Rapids Road, Columbia Generating Station, and adjoining areas.

Testing of the system will be done several times. Each test will conclude with a voiced announcement confirming that the siren activation is a TEST.

In an actual emergency the Emergency Alert System would be activated by county officials.

The emergency telephone notification system CodeRED will also be tested within a 10-mile radius of the Columbia Generating Station. Benton County and Franklin County residents are encouraged to receive CodeRED notifications personally in the event of an emergency.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF