MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

IS THE BIG ONE HERE? LA County ACCIDENTALLY broadcasts emergency alert asking residents to evacuate

Residents were scared until the authorities pulled out the notice and the officials tweeted that it was a 'sent in error'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: On Wednesday, August 31, an immediate evacuation television notice for the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Guadalupe Island, Los Angeles, and Ventura County was issued by the County of Los Angeles to its residents. 

This led to chaos among the Los Angeles County residents who accidentally received an emergency evacuation notice on their televisions. Meanwhile, authorities pulled out the emergency alert notification and the Ventura County Sheriff's Office later announced it was 'sent in error by the County of Los Angeles.'

ALSO READ

Walbridge fire flare-up: Mandatory evacuation ordered in Sonoma County, police going door to door to alert residents

Viral video shows Chuck E Cheese customers being evacuated in Superior as wildfire rages

Viewers in Ventura County were watching TV when programming was interrupted to show the message: “Emergency alert system: Civil authority has issued an IMMEDIATE EVACUATION NOTICE for the following counties or areas: Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Port conception to Guadalupe Island, Eastern North Pacific; Los Angeles, CA; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean. " 

Further, the notice stated, "Emergency alert system: Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Ventura, CA; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; Eastern North Pacific Ocean; at 5;08 PM on AUG 31,2022." Later, Ventura County Office tweeted, "The evacuation notice that was received by some Ventura County Residents on television was sent in error by the County of Los Angeles. There is no threat to Ventura County at this time and no need for residents to evacuate." The tweet was published in both English and Spanish languages. 

According to DailyMail, The LA County Office of Emergency Management told the message was transmitted over from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Los Angeles as a 'non-weather emergency message' from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator (NOAA). However, the Emergency Management Office said the message was 'properly formatted' and shouldn't have 'triggered an EAS evacuation.' The authorities have not yet revealed what was the 'root cause' of the issue. As per the LA County Office of Emergency Management, the alert must be mostly connected to the ongoing Route Fire, which has destroyed more than 5000 acres of land in California which is located in LA County.

The fire has caused mandatory evacuations in many areas including  'Paradise Ranch Estates Mobile Park, Paradise Estates, and all structures south of Templin Highway along Upper Ridge Route Rd, are advised to evacuate north towards Gorman.'  However, the LA County Office of Emergency Management is yet to comment on the issue. Meanwhile, a similar incident had taken place in the past in 2017 when a false alarm spurred widespread panic in Hawaii. Residents received a morning alert to their mobile phones sent that turned out to have been sent in error. It stated in capital letters: “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”