Severe Weather

Emergency Alert Siren System

The Emergency Alert Siren System has a grid of six sirens strategically placed throughout the City. If you hear the sirens, which will emit three, three minute long wails over nine minutes, you should tune imediately to local radio and TV stations or the City's emergency radio station 1610 AM. Please do not call the Fire or Police Department's administrative phones during this time. The phones will not be answered after business hours and we must be ready to respond to calls when necessary.

TESTING

All alert sirens within the City, as well as in Farrell, Sharpsville, Wheatland, West Middlesex, and Clark, are tested on the FIRST THURSDAY of every month between 9:30am and 10:30am. Please disregard the sirens during this scheduled time.

Important Weather Terms

Tornado/Severe Storm WATCH

Weather conditions are such that a strong possibility exists for severe weather to impact the City. The emergency sirens WILL NOT be activated for a weather watch.

Tornado/Severe Storm WARNING

A tornado or severe storm has been confirmed and detected by radar, visual sightings, or otherwise officially observed. A warning indicates that our communities, when announced, are in the direct path of the severe weather. You should imediately take action to protect your family and property. The emergency sirens WILL be activated for a severe weather WARNING.

REMEMBER THE DIFFERENCE!

Before you hear the sirens...

Have a family emergency plan made in advance.
Have a designated area in your home to go as a "safe haven" in an emergency.
Have a designated meeting place for your family should you not be home at the time of an emergency. Have an out of the area relative or friend serve as a telephone contact where everyone can report their status.
Maintain a 48-hour basic food and medicine supply for your family and/or pets.
Keep flashlights and batteries ready. Generators must be run outdoors and away from the building. Generators create DEADLY carbon monoxide gas.
Train your family (or co-workers) how to turn off your home or building utilities, such as gas, electric, and water.

What should I do in case of a TORNADO?

SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY

If you are in...

A structure (such as home, school, hospital, or shopping center):

Go to a basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level
If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls
Put as many walls between you and the outside
Get under a sturdy table ad use your arms to protect your head and neck
DO NOT open windows!

A vehicle, trailer, or mobile home:

Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or storm shelter
Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornados

The outside with no shelter:

Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands
Be aware of the potential for flooding
You are safer in a low, flat location
Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a vehicle
Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter
Watch for flying debris. Flying debris from tornados cause most fatalities and injuries.

What should I do in case of a SEVERE STORM?

Postpone outdoor activities
Get inside a sturdy building. If no such shelter is avaliable, get into or stay in a hard-topped vehicle (not a soft top vehicle like a convertible). This is better than being outside.
Remember, rubber soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO PROTECTION from lightning
Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage
Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not avaliable, close window blinds, shades, or curtains.
Avoid showering or bathing. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity.
Do not use telephones during severe storms unless it is a life-threatening emergency
Unplug appliances and other electrical items, such as computers, and turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.
Use your battery operated NOAA weather radio for updates from local officials
Never walk, wade, or drive through flooded areas
Treat all wires lying on the ground or tangled in trees as energized and EXTREMELY dangerous
Call 911 only if it is a life threatening emergency and you immediately need police, fire, or EMS assistance
Avoid the following: