Sirens around Oconee Nuclear Station being upgraded

Duke Energy is upgrading all 65 public alert notification sirens around Oconee Nuclear Station over the next two months. After each siren is upgraded, a “growl test” will be performed. During this test, the siren will be sounded at a very low volume for 15-30 seconds to ensure the siren, all associated hardware and monitoring equipment are working properly. People in close proximity to the siren may hear the test and see the siren rotate. However, sirens will not reach full volume during these tests. These siren tests are different from the full-volume siren tests performed once each quarter in cooperation with emergency officials in Oconee and Pickens counties. The most recent quarterly test was conducted on April 8. Anyone hearing a siren around the nuclear station and unsure if it is a test or an emergency should tune to a local radio or TV station.