MANITOWOC – The outdoor emergency warning sirens in the city of Manitowoc will no longer be activated for severe thunderstorm warnings or high wind alerts, only for tornado warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
According to Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels, the changes bring the city’s warning system into alignment with Manitowoc County standards.
In a July 14 Facebook post, Nickels said the system is “clearer, safer and more consistent.”
What Manitowoc sirens will mean during severe weather
“When a siren sounds, it will carry one clear meaning, ‘seek shelter immediately, there is a tornado warning,’” the mayor wrote.
“This is consistent with other municipalities, which will help with confusion on why one city’s sirens went off but the other didn’t,” he added.
Monthly siren testing schedule to begin Aug. 1
The change in the warning system also comes with a change in the warning system’s regular testing schedule.
Beginning Aug. 1, the sirens will be tested the first Wednesday of each month at noon. Previously, the sirens were tested every Saturday at noon.
The new test schedule will reduce unnecessary wear on the system, confusion and white noise, Nickels said.
How Manitowoc residents should get severe weather alerts
Outdoor warning sirens are meant to alert people who are outside that there is a tornado warning and to find shelter immediately. They are not intended to be heard indoors or to wake people at night.
For indoor and overnight alerts, people should rely on NOAA Weather radios, smartphone apps and other reliable warning tools.
The change means residents should not expect city sirens for severe thunderstorm warnings or high wind alerts, and should have another way to receive those warnings, especially indoors or overnight.
Contact Alisa M. Schafer at aschafer@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc changes outdoor siren policy for storms
Reporting by Alisa M. Schafer, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alisa M. Schafer, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter | USA TODAY Network
