ST. FRANCISVILLE, La. (WAFB) – A nuclear power plant in the St. Francisville area is modernizing how it notifies nearby residents in the event of a potential emergency.
According to Entergy, the River Bend Station will transition to a nationally approved system that alerts local broadcast and news outlets. The system also sends notifications directly to phones, radios, and televisions within a 10-mile radius of the plant.
The new emergency alert system is called IPAWS and has been used nationwide for multiple years. Officials said the system sends messages via the Emergency Alert System and on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather radio.
Entergy officials said they plan to transition to the new and modernized system by Wednesday, April 23.
Once the new system is in place, monthly siren tests will stop. Officials said that at one point, sirens were the best technology available to alert residents about a potential emergency. However, the officials said the sirens can be difficult to hear inside of buildings and will eventually become obsolete.
The new system will be tested every month, but residents will generally only get one test message every year. Entergy plans to share details about system test dates over time.
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