(From the City of Joplin)The City of Joplin will test its outdoor sirens at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Citizens should be aware of this testing.
No critical weather is forecast at this time, so please note this is merely a procedural step following minor maintenance work completed on the outdoor emergency siren system.
Dave Holden, Emergency Management Director, reminds citizens that sirens are designed to serve as outdoor warning devices to be heard by those who are outdoors and alert them of impending danger from severe storms and tornadoes. When the sirens are sounding, people should seek shelter at that time. The sirens are only one aspect of the storm warning system and those who are inside a home or business may not hear them.
Holden encourages Joplin residents to use a NOAA Weather Radio which provides a warning signal when the area is under a watch or a warning. In addition, local news stations also offer weather watch apps for cell phones which residents may download. The City recommends citizens employ at least three means of hazardous weather notification & information.
“The advantage of having a weather radio is that you hear the alerts directly from the National Weather Service and are kept current on the warning status,” says Holden. “The phone apps also provide notifications and current information that is helpful during severe weather.”
The City of Joplin will observe this tornado drill by sounding the warning sirens for a full three minutes, the same duration which would occur in an actual warning. The City recently made some battery upgrades and could not test the system at its normal time last week due to weather conditions. The City’s policy is that sirens are not audibly tested if there is unfavorable weather in the area or forecast.
For more details about Joplin’s storm sirens go to https://www.joplinmo.org/589/Sirens
For questions, please contact Dave Holden, Emergency Management Director, at 417-624-0820, ext. 1260.
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