Tornado Sirens 101: What Sirens Mean In OKC

Tornado sirens sound every time the National Weather Service issues a new tornado warning anywhere in Oklahoma City, city officials said.

That's why the sirens sounded several times on Wednesday as severe thunderstorms moved through the area. Every time the National Weather Service identified a new imminent tornado threat in Oklahoma City, sirens sounded citywide.

“Think about a busy parent hearing sirens at their office in north Oklahoma City where the weather seems fine, but their teenager is home alone on the south side and might be in danger,” said Emergency Manager Frank Barnes. “Our policy is to sound sirens everywhere in the City, no matter where the tornado threat is, so people know to seek more information about the weather and decide what protective measures they need to take.”

Hearing a siren is your cue to get the latest information about the storm's location from a television, radio, weather radio, social media or smartphone app and be prepared to take tornado precautions.

Stay connected with News 9 during severe weather.

Oklahoma City has 182 tornado warning sirens. They are tested each Saturday at noon, unless it's raining or there's a chance of severe weather.

You can watch a video about outdoor warning sirens here.