Large-scale nuclear training to take place May 1-5 in Houston

According to the city of Houston's Office of Emergency Management, large-scale nuclear testing involving multiple agencies will take place in the city from May 1-5.

In an April 30 press release, OEM officials said the public should not be alarmed by the testing or by an increased presence of military personnel.

"Exercise participants will conduct operations in personal protective equipment to simulate realistic conditions," the release said.

The Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security will conduct the exercise in several areas of southeast Houston as part of a series of regularly scheduled U.S. government biannual exercises, per the press release. Similar trainings have been conducted in regions across the U.S. since 2012.

The training exercise will take place in and around NRG Park from Hwy. 288 to Hwy. 146, and from I-10 East to Hwy. 225 in and around Ellington Field.

Several local and state agencies—including the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department—will take part in the training.

The exercise allows for participating entities to "practice and enhance operational readiness" in response to a nuclear event in the U.S. or overseas.