Demystify a dangerous myth about tornado sirens

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In the last 36 hours, I have witnessed the tornadic storms that have ravaged parts of the southern United States. The National Meteorological Service's Storm Prediction Center has been warning for days that a powerful storm system would produce this type of activity. At the very moment when I write this essay, parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas should be watching closely for the time it is doing this Palm Sunday. At the time of writing, my region of Georgia is under tornado surveillance until 2 pm & Nbsp;Unfortunately, Palm Sunday has experienced its share of tornado episodes over the years and some churches have even decided to cancel their services today.& nbsp; I had no intention of writing anything until I saw the following tweet:

No tornado siren could be heard in the highland lakes! Large oaks and pines on houses. This could have been very serious with the kids' rooms mostly upstairs. Thanks for the warning @spann Do you know why they did not leave?

The person who tweeted it had only the best intentions, so there is no intention to ridicule him. In fact, the Tweet is useful because it reminds the public facing the danger of tornado why you can not rely on the tornado sirens inside.

My good friend and colleague James Spann is one of the best broadcasting meteorologists in the industry. It is certified by the American Meteorological Society and hosts the remarkable WeatherBrains podcast. Spann is the chief meteorologist of the WBMA ABC 33/40 in Birminghamwho had tornado risks all night long. His answer to this tweet sums it up:& nbsp; "That's why we say NEVER rely on a mermaid! Every Alabama home must have a NOAA weather radio …"

In fact, the NOAA, the parent agency of the National Meteorological Service, gives clear guidance on outdoor sirens on its website. However, before mentioning these, it is important to note that they are called "outdoor" warning sirens. Here's what NOAA says in its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ website) about what it means when you hear an outdoor siren:

In short, it means that something is going on that is life threatening and you should go inside and get more information. The specific instructions (tornado, hail, wind, etc.) relating to sounding sirens vary from one jurisdiction to another. Consult your local community for specificities if you are interested.Sirens are an outdoor alert system designed only to alert those on the outside that something dangerous is happening.

For home or workplace alerts, the website recommends the use of NOAA weather radio for all hazards. As the website points out, "The NOAA weather radio is like a smoke detector for extreme weather conditions, and it can wake you up when a warning is issued for your area and allow you to take action that is safe. ; required. " In the more modern era, I would also recommend some alert applications such as Tornado Red Cross or the FEMA application. Here in Georgia, I am relying on the ReadyGA application. Even with apps, you have to remember that a fully charged phone is a requirement. Anna Lawrence is a teacher in Georgia and our girls are part of the same group of Girl Scouts. She sent me a message this morning and said, "The weather radio has already sounded this morning and my county alert system has called, will stay informed and aware!" Her riding has sirens, but Lawrence clearly has the right approach to risk messaging for our ongoing vigil against tornadoes.

Spann's response to this tweet is not a flash. He is a strong advocate of public education on the safety of tornadoes and sirens. He wrote the following in a blog 2016:

SIREN'S MENTALITY: Why in the world do they think they will hear a magic air raid siren inside their house to let them know that a tornado is coming? Of course, you could hear a mermaid on sunny days with blue skies and sunshine during tests, but you have no hope in the middle of the night during a violent storm. They have never been designed to warn people in homes, businesses, schools, churches or any other structure. They reach a limited number of people outside, and that's it.

I often write To bes articles to increase the scientific culture, and this one is no different. However, I also hope that this will serve a more important purpose for someone. & Nbsp; Stay safe.

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In the last 36 hours, I have witnessed the tornadic storms that have ravaged parts of the southern United States. The National Meteorological Service's Storm Prediction Center has been warning for days that a powerful storm system would produce this type of activity. At the very moment when I write this essay, parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas should be watching closely for the time it is doing this Palm Sunday. By the time I write these lines, my Georgia area is under tornado supervision until 2 pm. Unfortunately, Palm Sunday has experienced its share of tornado episodes over the years and some churches have even decided to cancel their services today. I had no intention of writing anything today until I see the following tweet:

No tornado siren could be heard in the highland lakes! Large oaks and pines on houses. This could have been very serious with the kids' rooms mostly upstairs. Thanks for the warning @spann Do you know why they did not leave?

The person who tweeted it had only the best intentions, so there is no intention to ridicule him. In fact, the Tweet is useful because it reminds the public facing the danger of tornado why you can not rely on the tornado sirens inside.

My good friend and colleague James Spann is one of the best broadcasting meteorologists in the industry. It is certified by the American Meteorological Society and hosts the remarkable WeatherBrains podcast. Spann is the chief meteorologist of the WBMA ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, who has been at risk of a tornado all night long. His answer to this tweet sums it up: "That's why we say NEVER rely on a mermaid! Every Alabama home must have a radio …"

In fact, the NOAA, the parent agency of the National Meteorological Service, gives clear guidance on outdoor sirens on its website. However, before mentioning them, it is important to note that they are called "outdoor" alarm sirens. Here's what NOAA says in its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ website) about what it means when you hear an outdoor siren:

In short, it means that something is going on that is life threatening and you should go inside and get more information. The specific instructions (tornado, hail, wind, etc.) relating to sounding sirens vary from one jurisdiction to another. Consult your local community for specificities if you are interested.Sirens are an outdoor alert system designed only to alert those on the outside that something dangerous is happening.

For alerts inside the home or workplace, the website recommends the use of an all-hazard radio from NOAA weather radio. As the website points out, "The NOAA weather radio is like a smoke detector for extreme weather conditions, and it can wake you up when a warning is issued for your area and allow you to take action that is safe. 39; impose. " In more modern times, I would also recommend some alert applications such as Red Cross Tornado or the FEMA app. Here in Georgia, I am relying on the ReadyGA application. Even with apps, you have to remember that a fully charged phone is a requirement. Anna Lawrence is a teacher in Georgia and our girls are part of the same group of Girl Scouts. She sent me a message this morning and said: "The weather radio has already sounded this morning and my county's alert system has called, will stay informed and aware!" Her riding has sirens, but Lawrence clearly has the right approach to risk messaging for our ongoing vigil against tornadoes.

Spann's response to this tweet is not a flash. He is a strong advocate of public education on the safety of tornadoes and sirens. He wrote the following in a blog 2016:

SIREN'S MENTALITY: Why in the world do they think they will hear a magic air raid siren inside their house to let them know that a tornado is coming? Of course, you could hear a mermaid on sunny days with blue skies and sunshine during tests, but you have no hope in the middle of the night during a violent storm. They have never been designed to warn people in homes, businesses, schools, churches or any other structure. They reach a limited number of people outside, and that's it.

I often write To bes articles to increase the scientific culture, and this one is no different. However, I also hope that it serves a bigger goal for someone. Stay safe.