Warning siren in White Rock turned out to be a test

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WHITE ROCK (NEWS 1130) – People are being asked not to be worried or to rush to higher ground after a loud siren played over the City of White Rock earlier today.

The Semiahmoo First Nation was testing its emergency warning system, however callers to NEWS 1130 say they were never warned ahead of time.

The NEWS 1130 newsroom received a lot of calls from people wondering what was happening and curious as to whether there was, indeed, a tsunami warning — which is what the message was reportedly saying.

“We grabbed the basics: medications, change of clothes and some valuables – that’s it,” says Diana who lives right near Semiahmoo Bay.

White Rock Fire Chief Phil Lemire says the city was warned about the test and alerted their front line staff.

“And we’ve since been in touch with Semiahmoo that unfortunately there wasn’t at the start and end (of the siren) that it was just that; a drill or exercise,” Lemire says.

The city also did not post any warning on social media or its website.

Semiahmoo is expected to test its siren system on the first Monday of every month at noon.

To clarify, there was no earthquake or risk of a tsunami.

Statement from the City of White Rock regarding Semiahmoo First Nation’s Tsunami Drill:

Today the Semiahmoo First Nation conducted an evacuation drill for their community.

The Semiahmoo First Nation informed the City of White Rock that the siren alerts would begin at 11:00AM with their Tsunami tone (wailing). However, they did not inform the City that their alarms would not include clear messaging that it’s a test or a drill only.

As the alarms did not have clear messaging that this was a test, it caused residents to believe it was a real evacuation, particularly when they heard, “This is a tsunami warning, please vacate and get to higher ground or inland now, do not return.”

The City is also concerned about the lack of communication provided by Semiahmoo First Nations. We have communicated our concerns and re-emphasized the need for clearer communication with the City and the public in the future.

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