Monday, May 18, 2015

Repairs to be done on Joplin tornado sirens Tuesday; sirens may sound

(From the City of Joplin)

The City of Joplin will work on two sirens in Joplin on Tuesday, May 19. One siren is located near 26th and Jefferson Avenue and the other is stationed at Memorial Hall. During the work, a test will need to be conducted, and these two sirens will be audibly sounded during Tuesday, May 19.

This repair work and testing is necessary to ensure that the siren system is working properly. These sirens did not function properly during the warning alert sent to citizen early Sunday morning. No critical weather is forecast at this time, so please note that the sounding of the sirens in Joplin is a step in the testing procedure.

Keith Stammer, Emergency Management Director, reminds people that the siren warning is an alert for people who are outside, and is not designed to be heard from indoors.
“The sirens provide a warning for anyone who is out of doors to go indoors, if possible, and take shelter,” he said. “People indoors cannot always expect to hear the outdoor warning sirens.”

Stammer encourages residents to utilize a NOAA Weather Radio that provides a warning signal when the area is under a watch or a warning. “The advantage of having a weather radio is that you hear the alerts directly from the National Weather Service, and are kept current of the warning status.” Weather radios are available at local retailers and are priced at approximately $30.

Stammer also encourages people to listen and/or watch local media for updates and information about specific locations of storms. Some media sources also offer phone applications to citizens so they can be notified of approaching storms. Residents should check with the individual media sources in the area for these options.

For more information about the City’s outdoor warning system, call 417-624-0820, ext. 261.

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