Sirens ready to sound alarm as severe weather season arrives
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Wailing sirens accompanied by extreme weather conditions are a familiar sound in Northwest Missouri in spring and summer.
Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which is underway in Missouri and Kansas, is a chance for residents and emergency officials to make sure they are ready for whatever situations Mother Nature may have in store.
Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are the extreme weather events most associated with the warmer months. In the past year, three or four tornadoes were spotted in Buchanan County.
“We’ve had kind of an active spring pattern with the spring storms,” St. Joseph emergency management manager Bill Lamar said, “And we’ve had some pretty serious thunderstorms roll in and some areas close by have had some tornadoes. We’re just kind of in a rather storm pattern right now, but that’s pretty typical.”
This is why officials across the state and in Buchanan County prioritize having monthly tests for weather sirens. There are 24 sirens set up in the county.
“We test them once a month on a regular monthly test, and then they are checked every day. We’ll get reports on their status,” Lamar said.
In addition to the monthly siren tests, local and state officials along with the national weather service are observing severe weather preparedness week from March 3 to 7. Informational safety activities and drills aim to help prepare the public if severe weather conditions occur.
“I know that they test weekly or monthly on a Monday or Tuesday,” resident Tanya Douglas said. “Usually when they go off, I think it’s just to prepare people to be aware of what’s going on and the possibility to take cover.”
The week’s activities were to include Missouri’s statewide annual tornado drill on March 5, but a weather event that included snow and high winds put those plans on hold.
In addition to the annual drill, monthly tests are conducted across Buchanan County to ensure that the warning sirens are operational and replace any that are malfunctioning.
In 2023, five of the county’s sirens were replaced due to old age and parts falling off.
Between testing and actual use, some may become used to hearing the sirens, making them easy to ignore. However, residents like Sabrina Asher said they serve a good purpose and should be utilized to practice effective safety precautions.
“In the aspect of if they are being overused, I would say no,” Asher said. “Where I live, they’re new. Before we had the tornado sirens, the local sheriff’s department would drive around with sirens on and their lights on, indicating that there was severe weather on the way. I don’t think that the sirens are overused around my area.”
Officials encourage residents to develop a safety plan for when sirens sound and have a kit with supplies including bottled water, nonperishable food, a flashlight with batteries and first aid supplies ready.
