Xcel Energy to begin monthly test of new dam failure warning sirens
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Beginning in May, residents in parts of Chippewa and Eau Claire counties, particularly those near the Lower Chippewa River, will hear a distinctive siren and voice message on the first Monday of the month. That is when Xcel Energy, in coordination with local county emergency management agencies, will test the company’s new dam failure warning sirens. The first test will occur at approximately 11:05 a.m. on Monday, May 7. The test, which will follow the area’s monthly weather siren tests, will last less than one minute.
“We continually evaluate our emergency planning processes and determined that the addition of this state-of-the-art siren system would improve notification response times for people who are downstream of the dams,” said Matt Miller, emergency action plan coordinator for Xcel Energy. “In the unlikely event of a major dam failure, the sirens would quickly warn people in the potential flood area and instruct them to move to higher ground.”
In late 2011, nine solar-powered warning sirens affixed to 55-foot poles were installed in locations beginning at Brunet Island State Park outside of Cornell and ending just north of Riverview Park in Eau Claire. If there was a failure at one of Xcel Energy’s Lower Chippewa River hydroelectric dams that caused water to rise rapidly, the sirens would be used to quickly and safely alert people who are downstream of the dam to move to higher ground. The siren locations were selected to maximize the audible range of the area that could potentially be flooded.
Testing sequence:
1. “Attention! This is a test of the dam failure warning system. This is only a test. If this was an actual emergency you would receive instructions. This is only a test.”
2. Whoop tone for 15 seconds
3. Post Test Message: “This has been a test of the dam failure warning system. This was only a test.”
In the event of a dam failure, the sequence would be:
1. Whoop tone for 10 seconds
2. “Attention!” an upstream dam has failed. Remain calm and seek higher ground immediately. Expect rapidly rising waters. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately!” (repeats three times with five-second delay between messages)
3. Whoop tone for 60 seconds
4. Repeat for 30 minutes or until warning is cancelled
All questions related to the dam failure warning sirens should be directed to Xcel Energy’s 24-hour Customer Contact Center at 1-800-895-4999. Residents are asked to not call 9-1-1 unless there is an actual emergency.
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Xcel Energy operates 19 hydroelectric plants in Wisconsin with a total generating capacity of about 260 megawatts. Six of those plants are on the Lower Chippewa River and collectively account for almost one-third of Xcel Energy’s total hydro generation capacity. Visit http://www.xcelenergy.com for more information.
