Hamilton County Emergency Management (HCEM) will resume the weekly testing of the outdoor warning sirens at 11 a.m. today, March 10. The sirens will also sound during the statewide tornado drill at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15. Emergency Management encourages everyone to exercise your plan by going to your safe place during the drill.
Booker
“The outdoor warning sirens are intended to warn those who are outdoors,” HCEM Executive Director Shane Booker said. “Because sirens are not intended to warn those indoors, we recommend that every household and business have a weather radio.
Click here to learn more about outdoor warning sirens in Hamilton County.
Sirens are only sounded when:
- The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning. Visit gov/safety/tornado-ww for more information.
- When public safety personnel see a funnel cloud or tornado.
- When a trained weather spotter sees a funnel cloud or tornado.
When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, a message will be sent to cell phones in the county area near the warning. FEMA, which manages the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alerts, is working to improve alerts to only those in the warned area. HCEM uses the same system to send non-weather-related emergencies to cell phones and weather radios. Alerts can include hazardous materials warnings, shelter-in-place warnings, law enforcement warnings, and more.
HCEM recommends everyone have a plan for severe weather, an emergency kit with supplies for at least three days, and multiple ways to receive warnings, such as a weather radio and the free HCEM mobile app.
Resources to help you prepare for severe weather, emergencies, and disasters are available at ready.gov. The website also includes information and games to help children understand emergency preparedness.