California state officials are trying a new way of testing the tsunami warning system. On Wednesday, they'll use the so-called "live code" that goes out to the public when there is a real threat of tsunami -- not the "test codes." Melanie Bedwell with the state Office of Emergency Services says this first test will take place in Humboldt County, but she says there's more to come over the next few years.
Bedwell: The idea is to test different sections of the coast of California from North to South, so we have assurance the entire system will work as expected. It has been working fine. The only difference is we have not used that live code.
Bedwell says Humboldt area radio listeners will hear a message saying it's a test. But the crawler on television likely won't indicate it's a test. She says they've been working to get the word out to avoid confusion.
