Newport News, Va. - The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is installing a severe weather warning siren on its campus and will test the system for the first time on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 6. Depending on weather conditions at the time of the test, the siren could be heard by anyone outdoors within a 1.5-mile radius of the lab.
The test will be carried out over a period that could last from 30 minutes to an hour and will include a full three-minute test of each tone produced by the siren: a wavering tone (also called high-low-high or 10-4-10) and the steady blast. Additional tests of each tone – lasting between 15 and 30 seconds each – will also take place.
Jefferson Lab plans to use the siren as a mechanism for quickly notifying members of its lab community in the event of tornadoes, tornado warnings, and fast moving severe weather or other events that require an immediate response.
The lab plans to test the system monthly. For questions about Jefferson Lab's system, contact its Public Affairs office at jlabinfo@jlab.org or call 269-5102.