Heads-up! Low-flying helicopter measuring radiation levels

This story comes to us from our friends at Seattle/LocalHealthGuide.

A helicopter will begin flying low over the Puget Sound region starting this week to measure the background radiation levels, the Washington State Department of Health has announced.

The flyovers will start in Seattle and Bellevue before moving to other areas of King and Pierce Counties, including Tacoma.

During the Puget Sound flyovers, the helicopter will be based at Boeing Air Field and will make daily flights between July 11 and 28.

The helicopter will fly a grid pattern at an altitude of about 300 feet.

The measurements will be used to determine what normal radiation levels are various locations. The data will provide a baseline that can be used for comparison should there ever be a nuclear accident, the Department of Health said.

You can read the full story, and see a picture of the helicopter that will be used, here.