Emergency Alert System Testing Planned In Ellicott City

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Don't be surprised to hear some new sounds around Ellicott City on Wednesday, May 15. The Howard County Office of Emergency Management will be testing the new emergency alert system that it has installed to notify people of flash flooding.

"We know that when flash flooding occurs, seconds matter — and we want to give as much warning as possible so people can move out of the flood plain to higher ground," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement. "Making Ellicott City safer will continue to be a priority of mine, and this new public alert system is one more measure to ensure we reach as many people as possible if flash flooding is imminent in Ellicott City."

Testing of the new alert system will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15.

Temporary speaker arrays will be set up in two locations:

• Howard County Welcome Center, 8267 Main Street
• Ellicott City Colored School, 8683 Frederick Road

Each test will last from several seconds to two minutes and may incorporate tones and speech.

Afterward, the speakers will remain where they are and be used for testing weekly, monthly and annually.

Every Thursday at 10 a.m., there will be a high-pitched burst of sound that lasts less than two seconds.

Once a month, on the second Thursday, there will be a voice announcement instead of the burst.

Each December, there will be a full alert of a pulsed tone for less than two minutes.