Monday, March 15, 2010

Warning Sirens Heard in Lexington

If you were outside around noon in Lexington, Kentucky last Friday, you probably heard something that sounded like this.  It was the severe weather alert coming from one of 26 outdoor warning sirens that are located in parks in and around Lexington (see map). The nearest siren to Yunker & Park is at Woodland Park, close enough that we can hear the warnings indoors. However, while we appreciate the advanced notice of community emergencies at our desks, the primary purpose of the warning sirens is to alert people outside to seek shelter.

Each siren has a range of about half a mile and are used by the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) to warn citizens of severe weather or chemical emergencies. According to Stephen Jackson, operations manager for the LFUCG Division of Emergency Management, the warning system "is typically activated from Police dispatch when there is a National Weather Service alert for severe weather."

The warning sirens produce three different tones to signal different events (caution: siren videos are loud!):
• the Westminster Chime (video): severe thunderstorm watch/warning and tornado watch
• Stead (video): tornado warning, and
• Wail (video): evacuations and shelter-in-place

Jackson informed me that "Police dispatch will perform monthly tests and that will rotate through the various shifts." These tests use the Westminster chime and a test schedule can be found at the LFUCG website.  However, if you hear one of these sounds, you should seek shelter inside and turn on the radio or television for further information. As Jackson reminds us, "Emergency preparedness is everyone's business and responsibility."