Tornado Sirens To Be Tested Next Week

St. Louis County has announced it will re-test 18 of its new tornado sirens Monday through Friday this week. The one-minute tests will be performed between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

On Jan. 2, the county tested all 185 of the sirens in the new system. Each of the 18 sirens to be tested generated multiple calls following last week's test or the Labor Day test in 2011. Following both tests, residents reported they were unable to hear the sirens; under the old system, they could hear them.

The sirens are scattered across St. Louis County. The announcement did not say which sirens would be tested, but the county website has a map that plots all 185 sirens in the system.

“We need to ensure that the 18 sirens perform as they’re supposed to perform,” said David Barney, director of the county’s Emergency Communications Commission. “Each of the 18 will be individually tested and adjusted accordingly, if necessary.

“However, we want to emphasize that these sirens are designed to be heard outdoors. If residents can’t hear them when they’re in the basement, that doesn’t necessarily mean the siren is malfunctioning,” he said.

Before a siren is activated, “This is only a test,” will be announced from the device about to be tested.

In an actual emergency, the sirens would wail continuously for three minutes. Their activation is an alert that a tornado or tornadoes are approaching the region, and residents need to take cover immediately.

The exception to this is the first Monday of every month, at 11 a.m., when the sirens are tested.