WHEN STORM SIRENS SOUND AND WHY

During an outbreak of stormy weather in the early morning hours May 19, City of Houston emergency management director Jeremy St. John opened the Houston storm shelter for local residents to take refuge. St. John said the storm shelter is opened whenever a severe, threatening storm is approaching the city. During the same weather event, the eight warning sirens in Houston sounded. That’s because there was a real threat of the storm spawning a tornado. “The storm sirens sound off in Houston whenever we’re under a direct threat of a tornado,” St. John said. “What determines this is information from the National Weather Service as well as eyes on the ground in the area evaluating current weather conditions.” St. John said when the NWS issues a tornado warning aimed at central Texas County and the Bucyrus, Huggins and Houston area, he contacts the sheriff’s department to activate the sirens in a cycle of approximately three minutes on with a three-minute pause in between. He said the sirens are not used for an “all clear” signal. “This equipment is used only to notify you of harm –– or potential of harm –– and destruction within the city of Houston,” St. John said.