On September 7 at 10 a.m., residents from Pacifica to Pescadero will hear a full-volume test of eight tsunami warning sirens, the San Mateo County's Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security said today.
Sirens will be tested in in Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Miramar, Princeton, Pescadero and in the Linda Mar, Rockaway Beach and Sharp Park areas of Pacifica west of Highway 1.
Next month's test, which replaces the normal low-volume test that takes place the first Wednesday of each month, is required to determine whether the equipment is functional, as well as check if the siren can be heard across the coverage area.
The full-volume test will last for one minute and will be heard in the areas west of Highway 1. In Half Moon Bay, the sirens will be heard as far south as Kelly Street. Some residents may not be able to hear the siren at its peak level from inside their homes, the county warned.
In the case of an actual tsunami-related emergency, the sirens will sound for several minutes, and the Emergency Alert System, San Mateo County Alert, and a Telephone Emergency Notification System (reverse 911 calls) would be used to alert people at homes and businesses through automated messages and text messages, the county said.
Those on the beaches who hear the sirens during an actual emergency should leave the area immediately and tune their radios to KCBS 740 AM or KQED 88.5 FM for official information and evacuation instructions, the county advised. Half Moon Bay Patch and Pacifica Patch will also keep residents updated on the situation as it develops through breaking news alerts and reports on each website, as well as through news feeds on Facebook and Twitter.
To determine if your residence lies in the tsunami hazard area, click here.
To sign up for San Mateo County Alert emergency (and non-emergency messages such as local mountain lion sightings) messages through text message or email alerts, click here.
For more information about tsunami and emergency disaster preparedness from the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services, click here, or contact them at (650) 363-4790.
Click to read a story reported by Half Moon Bay Patch last year on disaster preparedness in Half Moon Bay and the Coastside. For our reporting on the tsunami emergency that took place in March, see story links to the right.
To receive news feeds about Half Moon Bay and the unincorporated Coastside between Montara and Pescadero, visit Half Moon Bay Patch on Facebook and "like" us here. Follow us on Twitter here.
