Outdoor Warning Sirens - Information Release
Outdoor Warning Siren Information Release from Anoka County Emergency Communications Center
The Anoka County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) has new siren software that allows for siren alerting based on information received from the National Weather Service (NWS). This new software allows the county to warn targeted areas, instead of alerting the entire county.
The updated software uses polygon areas drawn by the NWS to alert for tornado warnings. The Anoka County ECC now implements NWS thunderstorm warning alerts for reports of sustained straight-line winds of more than 70 mph. When the NWS issues a thunderstorm warning that meets that criteria, the sirens will activate in the targeted area, just as they do for tornado warnings. The decision to activate sirens for these thunderstorm warnings aligns Anoka County with its neighboring counties.
The high wind advisory comes with the Severe Thunderstorm Warning. The NWS has 3 classifications it uses for a Severe Thunderstorm based on potential damage. Base- winds <70MPH and/or hail<1.75”, Considerable-winds >70MPH and/or hail >1.75”, and Destructive - winds >80 MPH and/or hail >2.75”. The sirens are set up to sound if a bulletin is rated for Considerable or Destructive.
The intent of outdoor warning sirens is to alert people who are outside where there is an immediate threat to life and safety. For those who hear the siren alert, the essential message is to first seek shelter and then get information about the warning using the many other warning tools available to the public.
Outdoor warning sirens are one method to alert the public of a threat to life and safety. Other methods in an integrated public warning system include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator’s NOAA weather radio, broadcast television, and cable providers that use the Emergency Alert System (EAS); Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) systems; telephonic notification services; and digital message boards. No single method can alert all people all the time.
People should always think “Get inside and get information.”