After severe weather in North Texas over the weekend, some folks may be curious when tornado sirens are activated.<\/p>\n
Two tornadoes \u2014 an EF-2 in the Runaway Bay area<\/a> in Wise County and an EF-1 near Springtown<\/a> in Parker County \u2014 touched down on Saturday, April 25. Two people were killed<\/a> by the tornadoes, one in Runaway Bay and another near Springtown.<\/p>\n In the event of severe storms, who is in charge of activating the outdoor warning system, also known as a \u201csiren?\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd25 In case you missed it…<\/p>\n \u25fd\ufe0f Sign up for Star-Telegram news alerts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Does the National Weather Service control tornado sirens?<\/p>\n No, that falls to the jurisdiction of the specific city or county.<\/p>\n The National Weather Service\u2019s Fort Worth office<\/a> simply issues warnings, then it\u2019s up to the municipality to alert the siren if they so choose, said metrologist Patricia Sanchez.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t go further than the warning,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Over in Runaway Bay, Emergency Coordinator Steve Reynolds told the Star-Telegram a police officer was taking shelter and triggered the storm siren, but noted that siren was not designed to be heard inside buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is designed to warn people who are outside in the middle of a day during the summer if a storm pops up. If you research tornado sirens, it will specifically state that they are made to be heard outdoors and not indoors,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cElements such as hills, trees, buildings, wind direction, heavy rain and hail limit how far the sound travels. Research states that if you\u2019re inside, you may not hear the sign which is why weather radios and smartphone weather apps are crucial for safety.\u201d<\/p>\n When is Fort Worth\u2019s siren system deployed?<\/p>\n