Residents around Lake Wylie and Lake Norman may hear nuclear warning sirens Wednesday morning. Duke Energy says there is no emergency.
The scheduled test will run between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 7. Some sirens could sound more than once during that window.
Around Catawba Nuclear Station, Duke Energy will test 89 outdoor warning sirens across the surrounding emergency planning area. The plant sits in York County near Lake Wylie.
Testing also involves the warning system surrounding McGuire Nuclear Station in Huntersville. That network includes 67 sirens around the Lake Norman area.
Maintenance crews could continue testing individual sirens after 1 p.m. if additional checks are needed.
The sirens are designed to alert people outdoors within roughly 10 miles of a nuclear plant. Duke Energy conducts full-volume tests regularly to ensure the system works properly.
During an actual emergency, the nuclear station sirens would signal residents to seek more information. Local radio and television stations would interrupt programming with instructions from emergency officials.
That will not happen during Wednesday’s scheduled test.
Emergency management agencies across the Charlotte region are coordinating the testing with Duke Energy. Participating counties include Mecklenburg, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Catawba and York.
Residents do not need to evacuate or take other action when the scheduled sirens sound. Duke Energy says the sirens themselves are designed as an outdoor notification system.
