Hall County Emergency Management Agency officials will conduct the quarterly audible test of the county's severe weather warning system on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 10 a.m.
Citizens will hear the sirens sound for about three minutes.
The tornado sirens are tested using the wail alert tone once every three months. Other than these previously announced tests, all sirens should be considered to be an actual tornado warning. If there is bad weather in the county at the scheduled time of the audible tests, then the test will be postponed.
"Severe weather can be unpredictable and extremely dangerous," said Director of Hall County Emergency Management Casey Ramsey. "By taking steps to prepare before it strikes, you can ensure that you and your family stay safe. I encourage all Hall County residents to implement safety measures at home and at work so they will be ready when severe weather strikes."
Case in point - an unexpected storm caused damage in the Flowery Branch area on Monday afternoon.
Ramsey said he encourages citizens to sign up for the Hall County Citizen's Alert System. The Citizen's Alert System notifies residents about severe weather, fires, floods, toxic environmental issues and other important topics within minutes. Messages can be sent to individuals using a variety of contact mechanisms - cell phone, landline, email, text messaging and more - ensuring that Hall County residents receive life-saving emergency information and important public service announcements in minutes. Any individual may self-register, provide additional contact information or opt out. To sign up or learn more, log onto alerts.hallcounty.org.
"The weather sirens are meant as an outdoor warning. With all the ambient noise of the television blaring, dinner cooking on the stove or children playing in the house, it's possible you wouldn't hear the sirens at all," Ramsey said. "For that reason, we encourage everyone to sign up for alerts, get a NOAA weather radio, or better yet - both."
For more information, contact [email protected].
