Concerns were heightened among North Key Largo residents who opened their phones to read a text alert from Monroe County regarding an emergency at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant the morning of Jan. 28.
“Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant site area emergency. Everyone in Ocean Reef, Key Largo Anglers Club and Card Sound Road should monitor local media for further information and instructions,” the text alert read.
Monroe County officials later clarified there was no emergency, as the text message was accidentally sent out to residents living in the private and gated Ocean Reef Club.
Just before 11 a.m., an annual multiagency practice drill was underway regarding the power plant located on Biscayne Bay and just east of the Homestead area. According to county spokeswoman Kristen Livengood, Monroe County Emergency Management inadvertently transmitted a test emergency notification to residents in the private North Key Largo community. Two messages to correct the error and false alarm were immediately sent to Ocean Reef residents.
Monroe County Emergency Management officials apologized for the accidental transmission of the message and have discussed the error with their partner agencies to avoid mistakes in the future.
Operated by Florida Power & Light, Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant generates enough electricity to supply the needs of nearly a million homes.
In Monroe County, Ocean Reef, Key Largo Anglers Club and Card Sound Road residents and visitors could be affected in the unlikely event of an accident at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. Monroe County Emergency Management is authorized for Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) which allows for geographically targeted notifications via Everbridge. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) sends a short text message to television and audio message to radio and the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system pushes the message to landlines and cell phones in the area.
In the event of an incident at Turkey Point, everyone in the 10-mile emergency planning zone would receive emergency instructions on their cell phones. Non-weather emergency messages will be broadcast on NOAA weather radios. In addition, a siren adjacent to Alabama Jacks Restaurant would alert the public of an emergency at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. Public safety officials in the Monroe County emergency zone will make announcements via loudspeakers informing residents and visitors to tune into local media for information.
