Does your city or county have an outdoor tornado/civil defense warning siren system? If your city/county does, when do they test the system?
Here in Oklahoma City and surrounding cities, the outdoor sirens are checked with a silent test daily at 7am CT, and the audible tests occur every Saturday at noon CT. Doesn't matter if it's "in season" or not...they get checked. Of course, if severe weather is a threat on a particular Saturday, the audible test isn't done and the daily "silent" test is used to ensure proper operation.
Where I used to live in Cincinnati, Ohio, the sirens are checked monthly on the first Wednesday at noon unless bad weather threatens.
No testing whatsoever in my area of Jersey. We still have sirens, but they've mostly been used for volunteer firefighters, and those alerts have been replaced by pagers then phone alerts. One town nearby still sounds their siren at Noon daily, just because they've always done it.
If a siren did go off for an emergency, I don't think people here would have any clue what to do.
Pueblo County Colorado only has them near the Pueblo Chemical Depot east of the city of Pueblo, to be activated in the unlikely event of a chemical release. I don't know what their testing protocol is. As you move down the Arkansas River valley, where tornadoes become more likely as you move away from the mountains, you start to see them (La Junta?). I don't think Colorado Springs has them either, but don't know about the Denver area. Denver and north is sort of a mini-tornado alley.
I remember them in the Twin Cities, and I think the test was first Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m. When I first moved there in the 1970s, it wasn't possible to isolate the zone that was activated, so our sirens would go off under a blue sky because of a tornado warning for a suburb 20 miles south of us. Later, activation was shifted over to the individual cities. Sometimes, in some cities the sirens would be activated for a strong thunderstorm that didn't have a reported tornado.
https://www.gocomics.com/frazz/2018/06/01
In northeastern Illinois, it's the first Tuesday of the month, at 10:00 am. Everyone looks up when they hear them and checks the clock.
Every Wednesday at Noon (except if the weather looks questionable)
I can't say I've ever heard one, but my work is in the middle of nowhere and probably miles from the nearest one.
My hometown had a Civil Defense siren that would get tested often, but I haven't heard it go off since the 1990s.
Ours is tested every Wednesday at 5 PM, provided it's a sunny day.
I don't think there is one in the Upper Tampa Bay area. When I was on Long Island we used to have volunteer fire departments setting of their fire sirens every noon. A lot of times people who moved to Long Island from the Midwest used to write to Newsday and ask what this was all about thinking it was a tornado siren. Naturally, they were always trying to sooth their fears.
Indianapolis's are tested the first Friday of the month around 11:00. Most places in Indiana seem to be something similar to that, though some counties test weekly.
Of course, one other issue with tornado sirens are when they are actually used with severe weather. In Marion County, the sirens only go off for a Tornado Warning or if a tornado has actually been sighted (which usually coincides with a Tornado Warning anyway.)
But then you get your counties that activate them when there's a Tornado Watch and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. The problem with that section option is that there are then often times where there is no tornado at all and since the Thunderstorm Warning/Tornado Watch combo is more common it leads to the sirens going off a lot. After a while people didn't take the sirens too seriously. At least when the sirens go off for a Tornado Warning you know its serious.
On a similar note, I was on Maui last June and it was the First Monday of the month and apparently at 10:45 they test the sirens for tsunamis. I had to quickly check the Maui County website on my phone to make sure that it was indeed a test.
I was downtown on Wednesday and the VCU emergency sirens were tested at 12:00 noon.
The sirens here are tested on the first Wednesday of the month at 10AM CT. The other day I got to hear Northeast Oklahoma's sirens. Because they sounded completely different from the sirens back home, I was both confused and concerned when the went off on the first Monday of November around either 1 or 2 PM. A few friends told me they simply slept through the last tornado, which can be concerning.
I'm pretty sure Oklahoma City tests their sirens at noon on the first Saturday of every month. Took me by surprise when I was there, especially since there had just been a round of severe thunderstorms the night before.
Hawaii has lots of prominent civil defense sirens, mainly in coastal areas and used for tsunami warnings, though on the more disaster-prone Big Island (volcanoes, earthquakes) you also see them inland. See http://www.hawaiihighways.com/photos-intro-page2.htm at the bottom of the page for photos of several siren varieties.
In our area tornado sirens are tested at 1:00 pm on the month's first Saturday. Some soccer parents complained that there should be no games scheduled at that time, because some sirens are in or near parks and it's too loud for the kids.
Fort Smith, AR tests theirs on Wednesdays around 12 Noon....when they work.
We test ours on the first Wednesday of each month at noon from April to October, I think.
Quote from: thspfc on November 11, 2019, 08:12:14 AM
We test ours on the first Wednesday of each month at noon from April to October, I think.
If you're referring to Dane County (https://em.countyofdane.com/warning/Sirens), they're tested March thru November. West Bend, WI is every Saturday at noon.
Ours is the first Monday of the month at noon.
There is also an Ohio statewide siren test/tornado drill that always occurs at 9:50 am on a Wednesday in mid to late March.
Throughout greater St. Louis, at least on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, we have tornado sirens all over the place as we inhabit a prime piece of Tornado Alley real estate. Ours are pretty religiously tested on the first Monday of every month at 11:00 a.m. The tests last for approximately two minutes.
In some of the more populous areas, such as in the business district and county government center in Clayton, a voice will sound over the tornado siren speakers announcing that a test had been conducted of the tornado emergency preparedness system, and that it was only a test. Where I live, in suburban west county, I have yet to hear a voice at the conclusion of the test.
Our tornado sirens sound a continuous tone which slightly oscillates at a varying rate depending on the age of the siren nearest you.
We dont have tornado sirens in NW FL. To me the tornado sirens are very ominous, I guess thats the idea so u pay attention.
Our test is the first Saturday of every month at noon, unless there is a chance of actual severe weather, then the test is cancelled to avoid confusion with a real emergency.
No tornado sirens where I live. They do test sirens for the nuclear plants near Charlotte around four times a year, but I'm too far away to hear them.
In my area, it's a siren for the nuclear power plant nearby...the test used to be the first Monday of every month at 2PM, now it's semi-annual, the first Monday of June and Dec.
Quote from: jemacedo9 on December 17, 2019, 12:09:22 PM
In my area, it's a siren for the nuclear power plant nearby...the test used to be the first Monday of every month at 2PM, now it's semi-annual, the first Monday of June and Dec.
Similar around Oregon IL with the Byron plant nearby. I was at a school retreat at White Pines and they had it go off for the monthly test. Eeriest siren outside of Chicago's infamous alien tornado sirens
Quote from: US 89 on November 11, 2019, 12:34:58 AM
I'm pretty sure Oklahoma City tests their sirens at noon on the first Saturday of every month. Took me by surprise when I was there, especially since there had just been a round of severe thunderstorms the night before.
As I write this, it's every Saturday at high noon, no matter what month. OKC tested theirs this week...and I live no less than a half mile from one. (The neighboring city of Moore also usually tests on Saturdays at 12:00 noon, but opted not to this week.)
For any "siren geeks" out there: The Siren Archive (http://www.jmarcoz.com/sirens/sirenarchive.htm)
Quote from: JMoses24 on January 12, 2020, 03:21:16 PM
Quote from: US 89 on November 11, 2019, 12:34:58 AM
I'm pretty sure Oklahoma City tests their sirens at noon on the first Saturday of every month. Took me by surprise when I was there, especially since there had just been a round of severe thunderstorms the night before.
As I write this, it's every Saturday at high noon, no matter what month. OKC tested theirs this week...and I live no less than a half mile from one. (The neighboring city of Moore also usually tests on Saturdays at 12:00 noon, but opted not to this week.)
Norman also does every Saturday at noon, so long as it's clear. If it's overcast, or possible severe weather is scheduled for later in the day, the test is cancelled to avoid confusion with a true severe weather event.
We don't have any around where I live. Downtown I think there's a siren that is tested at noon every day. I used to hear it when I was attending a school nearby it. But as far as I know there's just that one siren.
I was just briefly freaked out for a bit, but can now confirm that Social Cirlce, GA does their test on Tuesdays at noon.
VS988
Who else thinks they should play "War Pigs" over the P.A. after testing the sirens?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlhRIhIFJBw
We don't have them in southeast Louisiana where I live now, but when I was growing up in Memphis they were tested for five minutes every Saturday at 11:55am. We lived half a block from one of the sirens, so we knew not to get on the phone around test time -- you couldn't hear yourself talk, much less hear whomever was on the other end of the phone.
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 08, 2020, 10:02:02 PM
Who else thinks they should play "War Pigs" over the P.A. after testing the sirens?
A better question might be why?
It's also not possible with most systems, as they're mechanical sirens and not speakers/speaker arrays.
Quote from: DaBigE on April 08, 2020, 11:00:24 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 08, 2020, 10:02:02 PM
Who else thinks they should play "War Pigs" over the P.A. after testing the sirens?
A better question might be why?
I agree
Quote from: ozarkman417 on November 10, 2019, 10:18:27 PM
The sirens here are tested on the first Wednesday of the month at 10AM CT.
Is that in Springfield? In STL it's first Monday of the month, though we haven't had a real one in a few months (we had a rash of them when I was in kindergarten, early 2010s).
No sirens ever. We barely even get tornados, I think that central Massachusetts gets some.
Michigan here. First Saturday of the month, at 1 pm. March through September.
Searcy, Arkansas has 6 Whelen Vortex R4's scattered about the city. They are tested every Wednesday at noon, weather permitting. The siren located next to the new(ish) fire station close to the hospital isn't tested audibly though (it will still sound for tornado warnings however), due to the noise. 90 seconds of steady alert and 90 seconds of high-low (meaning all clear) are used.
White County has a network of Whelen sirens and they are also tested each Wednesday at noon, using the wail signal.
Cabot, AR has a network of Federal Thunderbolt sirens. One is readily seen from the 67 freeway north of town on the southbound side of the freeway. I'm not sure of their test schedule though.
Outagamie County, Wisconsin, noon every Saturday, year round. The siren on the building behind by apartment building included.
:-)
BTW, increasingly rare nowadays, when those Federal 1000-T Thunderbolt sirens with the 4/5 impellers went off, THAT was a tornado warning! They scared the bejeevers out of me when I was a kid, but today I realize that that was an amazing sound.
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on July 02, 2020, 03:42:57 AM
Outagamie County, Wisconsin, noon every Saturday, year round. The siren on the building behind by apartment building included.
:-)
BTW, increasingly rare nowadays, when those Federal 1000-T Thunderbolt sirens with the 4/5 impellers went off, THAT was a tornado warning! They scared the bejeevers out of me when I was a kid, but today I realize that that was an amazing sound.
Mike
Boone County IL replaced their last Thunderbolt 1000T about 3-4 years ago with a FS 2001-130. Winnebago County next county over has ASC T-135s, which I heard when the derecho came through just a few days back.
Tulsa does it every Wednesday at 12 pm, unless there is severe weather forecast for that day.
We don't have "Tornado Sirens" where I live. We have a Outdoor Warning Siren System (https://markholtz.info/2sl) which are set to go off during the following conditions:
- The National Weather Service issues a Richardson-area Tornado Warning or Severe Thunderstorm Warning with destructive winds at or above 70 mph.
- Trained storm spotters have reported a tornado potentially affecting the City of Richardson.
- Hail of 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size) in diameter is imminent.
- Deemed necessary by city officials (i.e., in emergencies when officials need to get citizens to move indoors for their safety).
The tests are performed Wednesdays at noon unless there is inclement weather. I have to really listen to hear the sirens during the test, and have heard them during the two tornado warnings and the one Severe Thunderstorm Warning with Destructive Winds (https://markholtz.info/20230302thunderstorm) that I've experienced since I moved here. Having said that, I still rely on both my mobile phone and nice SAME weather radio (https://markholtz.info/cl100) for warnings.
A number of places around Alabama have outdoor warning siren systems, mostly for weather though a few are part of warning systems for nuclear power plants. A few friends of mine and I have gone around mapping a bunch of sirens across the state (https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&mid=1XzSjoD4qIAmQg-ua7GYbCQK60S0&ll=32.73702729107989%2C-86.90400714036524&z=7) over the past several years, and have mapped-out over 2,000 different ones so far.
Test times vary some, depending on the county, though they usually only test if there's good weather. Here in Madison County, the sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of the month at noon, weather permitting. If the test isn't able to be conducted the first Wednesday, it's delayed a week (but still at noon on the second Wednesday), also weather permitting. If, after the second Wednesday, they still haven't been able to test, the audible test for the month is cancelled and they just do silent tests polling the system.
Tsunami and lahar warning sirens are becoming a more common fixture around the Northwest, especially on the coast (for tsunami warnings). Usually found at fire stations and city offices.
Here's one being tested:
Our area tests sirens on the first Saturday of the month (not in winter) at 1:00. One siren location is in a park not far from where I live. Inevitably there are complaints when there is a soccer game scheduled at that time.
Wonder what those folks would say about the Ice Bowl
Quote from: GCrites80s on October 11, 2023, 10:28:31 AM
Wonder what those folks would say about the Ice Bowl
I believe the nearest siren is about 1/2 mile from Lambeau Field.
This two-tone siren sound at the start of this video is the one that sends me chills.
Here is a 10 second long video I took when the siren went off in Tulsa a few weeks ago. You can hear how loud it is in certain places. I'll make a longer video next time it goes off.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/U0wFxdnSExo
Quote from: Road Hog on November 04, 2023, 01:41:35 AM
This two-tone siren sound at the start of this video is the one that sends me chills.
I'd assume it's a recording of a British Carter siren, or some other similar 10/12 port one.
https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/tn-tornadoes-dec-2023/nashville-power-station-explosion-video/
Here is one that went off around Nashville yesterday as the storm wiped out an electrical substation causing an explosion lighting up the sky.
Quote from: freebrickproductions on November 05, 2023, 12:46:38 AM
Quote from: Road Hog on November 04, 2023, 01:41:35 AM
This two-tone siren sound at the start of this video is the one that sends me chills.
I'd assume it's a recording of a British Carter siren, or some other similar 10/12 port one.
The tornado sirens I grew up with were pitched up from that at least a full octave but were extremely similar.
Quote from: Beltway on April 08, 2020, 10:07:25 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlhRIhIFJBw
I think Calvin Harris wrote the notes for this siren. Don't hate it.