^[1]The tornado siren on Washington’s S. Marion Avenue

This is Severe Weather Awareness Week and all this week, KCII in conjunction with the National Weather Service will be looking at different topics related to severe weather.  During the week, we will be discussing flash flooding, tornadoes and weather radios.  Yesterday we looked at what we do here at KCII to keep you safe during severe weather.  Today we will be talking about warning reception.

Washington County Safety Center Supervisor Cara Sorrels says the warning sirens located in each city in the county are installed for the public’s safety.  She says they are designed to alert citizens who are outdoors of a pending storm.

She says if a storm is headed toward a certain community, they have the ability to alert that specific location or could alert the entire county if needed.  Sorrells adds they have a protocol they follow before activating the sirens.