Residents of Montgomery County need not head for the hills if they hear sirens coming from the surrounding nuclear plant on Monday.
Exelon Generation will test its emergency warning sirens for the Limerick power plant at 2 p.m. This is the first test of two semi-annual tests, with the second to be conducted in December.
In 2012, the semi-annual testing -- which last a few minutes -- replaced the sound that became a staple on the first Monday of every month. All 165 of Exelon's warning sirens in the vicinity of Limerick Generating Station were replaced with new state-of-the-art upgrades at that time.
Although the sirens have never been used for to notify residents of emergency situations, they have been used to warn about severe weather. The sirens are not a call to evacuate, but a signal to tune into a local Emergency Broadcast Station.
The nuclear power point is located 21 miles northwest of Philadelphia. It produces enough electricity to power about two million homes, according to Exelon.