Sonoma County partners with the National Weather Service Bay Area for a weather radio emergency alert test

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The County of Sonoma and the National Weather Service Bay Area (NWS) are conducting an emergency alert test of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios on Tuesday, April 8, at 11:30 a.m. The exercise will last approximately one hour and will be a countywide test of the NOAA Weather Radio alert system. After the test, participants will be encouraged to provide feedback on whether the test message was received by their radio.

The alert will be sent to all NOAA weather radios in Sonoma County. If you are a resident of Sonoma County with a NOAA weather radio, be aware that a test alert will be sent to your radio receiver at approximately 11:30 a.m. The warning alarm will sound once, followed by a short test message and then a closing alarm tone. The radio test cycle will play through only once. Device owners are encouraged to:

• Make sure the device is plugged in and has backup batteries installed
• Set up the radio correctly per the manufacturer's instructions 
• Ensure the radio is properly configured  for Sonoma County frequencies
• Provide feedback after the exercise by emailing info@socoalert.com or calling (707) 565-1369. Please include your location to help assess the range of the test alert.

The County and NWS utilize the alerting function on weather radios to notify the public of imminent hazards or threats, including evacuations, tsunamis and flood warnings. The radio itself broadcasts continuous weather information directly from the National Weather Service offices across the country.

To prepare for an emergency, register for alerts or find your evacuation zone, visit: www.socoemergency.org/get-ready/. 

For more information about the NOAA weather radio alert exercise visit: https://socoemergency.org/get-ready/events-exercises/.

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Media Contact:
Gilbert Martinez, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403