Cobb County Government: Tornado Siren FAQ And Update, Marietta

Press release from the Cobb County Government:

January 27, 2021

Why didn’t I hear a tornado siren last night?

Cobb County has 74 tornado sirens spread across the county. Smyrna also has some that operate in their jurisdiction.

The sirens are computer-controlled to alert if they are in, or within 2 miles of, a National Weather Service warning polygram. For example, the Tornado Warning issued last night was primarily for the north part of the county, sirens south of that line would not have alerted.

Because of growth in Cobb, its topography, and trees, we highly recommend that you do not solely rely on these sirens for critical weather alerts. There are a number of situations, including weather conditions and how sound-proof your home is, where you may not be able to hear these sirens clearly.

There are a host of weather-alerting apps for your phone, weather radios, and other methods to get timely weather alerts no matter where you live in Cobb County. For more information, please visit https://www.cobbcounty.org/public-safety/emergency-management/warning-systems

This press release was produced by the Cobb County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.