ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Don't be alarmed when the Old Ellicott City Outdoor Tone Alert System starts sounding Tuesday morning.
The Howard County Office of Emergency Management will be carrying out a full-scale test of the alert system between 9 a.m. and noon Tuesday.
Residents, business owners and others in town might hear public address announcements, flash flood warning alarms and the all clear message during this time.
Testing will happen at various times throughout the timeframe, and each test will last from several seconds to three minutes. The test is being done to make sure all four towers are operating effectively.
The test will end with a voice message saying, "This concludes testing of the Ellicott City Tone Alert System. Testing is now complete."
In the event of inclement weather on Tuesday when the alert system needs to be in use, the testing will be rescheduled for Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon.
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