Tornado sirens to activate

PERKINS TWP. — As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 17-23, Erie County will participate in the statewide tornado drill by testing its outdoor emergency sirens at 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday. Normally, the county sirens are activated by the Erie County Sheriff's Office any time there is: • A tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service • A reported sighting of a tornado/funnel cloud by public safety personnel • The report of property damage or injuries caused by severe storms/tornado/funnel cloud Additionally, the sirens are tested at noon on the first of each month. The next such occurrence of this will occur on April 1. Erie County operates 44 outdoor severe weather warning sirens as part of the countywide severe weather warning system. The sirens are designed to serve as an outdoor warning device, and therefore are not designed to necessarily alert someone inside their home, office or school. They are simply meant to seek shelter and tune into local media sources for additional weather information." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration all-hazards/weather radios as the best indoor warning systems available today. These radios can be purchased at many area department stores and online. It is strongly recommended that each family/household and business pre-plan for weather emergencies. During an emergency, residents are asked not to call 911 or the sheriff's office dispatch center whenever the sirens are activated for weather-related emergencies. Dispatchers will be coordinating the response of area agencies. The sirens are not activated upon expiration of the warning. You will never hear the sirens activated to indicate "all clear."