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Emergency Siren Alerting System
The City of Lytle takes alerting its citizens of ensuing emergency situations or disasters seriously. For this reason, the city has four emergency alerting sirens located in various locations within the city. These sirens are activated at the direction of the Emergency Management Coordinator or his designee.
The City of Lytle tests the emergency siren system on the first Wednesday of each month at 12 p.m. unless there is severe weather in the area.
When activated the sirens will sound for 2 minutes then shut down automatically.
1. What does it mean when I hear the outdoor warning sirens?
In short, it means that something life-threatening is happening and you should go indoors and get more information. The specific guidelines (tornado, hail, wind, etc.) for sounding sirens varies by jurisdiction, so check with your local community to find out the specifics if you are interested.
2. What should I do when I hear the outdoor warning sirens?
When the sirens are heard, go inside and tune to local media to get more information.
3. Why can’t I hear the outdoor warning sirens in my house?
Sirens are an outdoor warning system designed only to alert those who are outside that something dangerous is approaching.
4. How can I get alerts when I’m at work or in my house?
For alerts indoors, every home and business should have a NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards. NOAA Weather Radio is like a smoke detector for severe weather, and it can wake you up when a warning is issued for your area so you can take appropriate action.
5. When are outdoor warning sirens tested?
Sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of every month at 12 p.m.
6. Why don’t the outdoor warning sirens sound an all-clear signal?
People should be indoors and monitoring local media for updates on the storm.
7. Why are the outdoor warning sirens sometimes sounded for hail and wind?
When thunderstorm winds exceed 70 mph, trees can be uprooted or snapped. Hail that is golf ball-sized or larger can break windows. Both of these things pose a direct risk to life if people are caught outdoors. An increasing number of communities are incorporating these threats into their outdoor warning siren policies.
8. Will the outdoor warning sirens warn me of every dangerous storm?
The safest approach is to be proactive and use all of the information available to protect yourself and your family from threatening weather. Nothing can replace common sense. If a storm is approaching, the lightning alone is a threat. Sirens are only one part of a warning system that includes preparation, NOAA Weather Radio, and local media.
10. Who activates the outdoor warning sirens?
Sirens are typically activated by city or county officials, usually a police or fire department or emergency management personnel. Check with your city or county officials to learn more.
11. Where can I get more information?
Check out these resources: