Hermosa Beach residents awoke to the startling sound of an air raid siren blaring at about midnight -- a mistake caused the recent time change, fire officials said.
The siren, a relic of the Cold War era, normally sounds every day at noon. But the digital timing system failed, causing the alarm to go off at 12:00 midnight instead.
Given the recent tsunami threats and the nuclear reactor situation in Japan, the timing of the false alarm couldn't have been worse, officials said. The 911 switch board in Hermosa Beach lit up shortly after the siren with calls from worried residents.
The timing system was promptly fixed Tuesday.
The siren, one of the last remaining still in operation, was meant as a warning, and a call for civil service volunteers in times of crisis, officials said.
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