FLAGSTAFF — Some Coconino County residents may experience a startling awakening Thursday morning when the city tests flood sirens in the museum fire area.
The hour-long test will begin at 9:00 a.m. to ensure the siren system has been properly updated and will include the initial Navajo translation of emergency broadcast messages.
During this time, residents will hear an audible alarm, followed by three repeated audio messages in English, Spanish, and Navajo. The test ends with a siren indicating the end of the message. The city notes that the sound of sirens as the wind subsides does not mean the end of the flood threat, it just means the end of the message.
The museum fire flood area siren alarm system is still relatively new. It will be installed for the first time in Flagstaff’s Grandview Homes and Sunnyside neighborhoods in 2022 to warn residents of impending flash floods. City officials said the system is a supplementary warning system to notify residents of imminent danger and does not replace emergency notification alert text messages.
Residents must follow all safety instructions immediately upon receiving an emergency notification alert text message or hearing a siren alarm system.
The city said inspections could be postponed if there is rain or smoke in the area.
Here’s where to contact reporters: LLatch@gannett.com.
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