Why tornado warnings won’t prompt wailing of air sirens
As a line of strong storms pushed through Southeast Texas last weekend, the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for areas north of Houston. Although no tornado warnings were issued in Harris County, don’t expect to hear the wailing of sirens during future severe weather events.
Why don’t sirens wail in Harris County?
Harris County is no stranger to tornadoes. In late January 2023, a tornado ripped through Deer Park and Pasadena with estimated peak winds of 140 mph. Despite the familiarity Houston and Harris County have with tornadoes, sirens aren’t going to sound during instances of tornado warnings, said Brian Murray, deputy coordinator and spokesperson for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“Warning sirens are used in Harris County to alert people to shelter in place during a chemical event,” Murray said.
While Southeast Texas isn’t a stranger to severe weather, tornado sirens are more common in the northern part of the state, where major cities like Dallas and Fort Worth are more frequently in the path of damaging supercells, which are large, powerful storm systems.
Tornado warnings from local National Weather Service offices have gotten so timely that many people rely on getting severe weather alerts sent straight to their cellphone, Murray added.
Preventing mixed messaging
After last year’s tornado in southeast Harris County, many people wondered why warning sirens can’t be used for both chemical events and tornadoes.
According to Murray, the biggest issue with making sirens sound for both events is the confusion that can cause. Emergency management officials and meteorologists alike want to avoid confusion during disasters, natural or otherwise. Warning sirens that were installed in Harris County have almost entirely been used for chemical events and emergencies involving hazardous materials.
Changing that now, es pecially on the county’s southeastern side where chemical plants are so concentrated, would cause senseless confusion, he said.
Sheltering in place during chemical event
If you live in Harris County and hear the warning siren, Murray said the process for sheltering in place during a chemical event is different than sheltering in place during tornado warnings. During an emergency involving hazardous materials, residents are asked to stay inside and to turn off all fans and heating or cooling units.
Similar to sheltering in place during a tornado event, residents should also go to an interior room or closet with no windows to ensure that you’re in the safest location possible.
Murray emphasizes that the most important thing Harris County residents can do is have multiple ways to get emergency alerts. Whether it’s for severe weather or chemical events, getting information from trusted sources will set you and your family up to stay prepared and safe as much as possible.