Cities’ storm sirens to be tested starting Wednesday

Storm sirens in Texarkana are activated to alert people who are outdoors that severe weather is imminent.

Sirens, however, are only part of a warning system that includes weather-alert apps and weather radio, officials said.

Starting this week, storm sirens in Texarkana, Ark., will once again be tested at noon each Wednesday.

Storm sirens in Texarkana, Texas, are also tested at noon on Wednesdays.

There are 14 sirens in Texarkana, Ark. Based on horn direction, the maximum range is about 2 miles, Arkansas-side Fire Marshal Stephen Johnson said. There are 13 sirens in Texarkana, Texas. “Some date back to the 90s, but several are more recent. They all require a little maintenance from time to time but overall operate pretty well,” said Texarkana, Texas, Fire Chief Eric Schlotter.

All sirens are synchronized on each side of town.

Tornado watches and warnings are issued by county. However, a tornado warning for Bowie County could be for the far northern section of the county and not for Texarkana.

“When a warning is issued, we look at what has been created by that warning and see if it is a threat to the city,” Schlotter said.

Police and fire commanders are among those authorized to activate the sirens on each side of town.

Storm sirens are not designed to be heard by people indoors. They are designed to be heard by those who are outdoors so that they can seek shelter.

The safest practice is to be proactive and use all available warning information, fire officials said.

“CodeRed is far superior at giving detailed information,” Schlotter said.

CodeRed is an emergency notification system shared by both Texarkanas and Bowie and Miller counties that alerts residents by telephone and/or email alerts. The system is set up to notify residents of critical community alerts, such as weather emergencies, evacuation notices, bioterrorism alerts, boil water notices and reports of missing children.