Tornado Siren test scheduled for Severe Weather Awareness Week
Today marks the start of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. Each year, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Association (PEMA) sets aside a week before the beginning of thunderstorm and flash flood season, to focus on education for awareness and preparedness for severe weather.
This week, as has been customary in the past, the tornado siren in Kane will be tested. The siren is scheduled to go off on Friday, April 23 at noon, with Saturday planned as the backup date if the weather Friday is inclement.
The siren is activated to make sure it is functioning properly, and to allow residents the chance to recognize what it sounds like and differentiate the tone from that of the fire siren. There are two tower locations, one at the Kane Volunteer Fire
Department, and one at the Kane Area High School.
The siren is activated by the 911 Dispatch Center in Smethport, when a tornado warning has been issued for the area and a tornado is imminent. The sirens are activated to alert people who are outdoors to take shelter. After seeking shelter, individuals should tune into their local radio station or an NOAA Weather Radio for updates.
In rare cases the siren can also be activated for a civil emergency.
Tornadoes, a rotating column of air in contact with the ground, are extremely powerful and destructive. The wind speed within a tornado can range from 100 to 300 miles-per-hour. Tornado columns can move forward as fast as 70 miles-per-hour and destroy most things in their path.
On average, Pennsylvania experiences 16 tornadoes a year. If you
are in your home when a tornado warning is issued, you should go to the lowest level away from all windows and doors, and get under something sturdy. If you are outside, you should seek shelter immediately in a substantial structure; mobile homes can easily be picked up by tornado winds.
More information on Pennsylvania’s severe weather week as well as resources for emergency preparedness may be found on the national weather service website at www.weather.gov .