Muscatine County will test outdoor sirens

The Muscatine County Joint Communications Center (MUSCOM) will start the yearly testing of the outdoor sirens on Monday, April 3. The sirens are tested at 11 a.m. on the first Monday of every non-freezing month. However, the sirens will not be tested if there is severe weather forecast for the testing day, according to a news release.      

Muscatine County will also participate in the Statewide Tornado Drill to be held in conjunction with Severe Weather Awareness Week. The drill will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 29. The sirens will also be activated in conjunction with this drill.  

For more information, visit the National Weather Service (NWS) site here.

“The Statewide Drill gives businesses, schools, day cares and other facilities the chance to practice their severe weather procedures as we move into storm season,” said Chris Jasper, director of Muscatine County Emergency Management/911. “I encourage all facilities in the county to participate in the drill.”

During a severe weather event, the sirens are activated by MUSCOM when one of the following criteria is met:

·       Tornado Warning issued by the National Weather Service

·       Tornado or funnel cloud reported by a trained weather spotter

·       Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued by the National Weather Service or a report from a trained weather spotter that includes:

o   Wind 70 mph or greater and/or

o   Golfball-sized hail or larger

According to information from the NWS most fatalities during tornadoes or severe thunderstorms occur because of falling trees or large branches. 70 mph wind is the typical threshold at which large branches and small trees break. Hail also begins to break windows when it reaches or exceeds golf ball sized hail.

“Muscatine County follows the guidelines that are set out by the National Weather Service,” Jasper said. “Due to the possibility of extreme danger from falling trees and branches we will continue to activate the siren system for Severe Thunderstorm Warnings that meet that threshold.”

Sirens are designed to alert citizens who are outdoors of an imminent hazard and prompt them to go indoors and seek further information.

“We encourage the public to tune into local media outlets or listen to a weather radio during severe weather and ask that they limit the use of 911 to emergencies only,” Jasper said.

Anyone that believes a siren is not working or malfunctioning can reach out to the Office of Emergency Management at 563-264-7142.

Outdoor Siren Locations

In cooperation with the Muscatine Area Geographic Information Consortium (MAGIC), a link has been created for Muscatine County residents to pinpoint where the outdoor warning sirens are located. Click on this link to view the locations: OUTDOOR SIRENS.

For more information, visit the Emergency Management website.

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