Sounding Springtime Storm Sirens

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Each spring the weather tends to turn tumultuous as temperatures warm and storms intensify. 

Muskingum County Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Jadwin discussed the warning systems the county employs when weather emergencies hit and the annual siren testing that takes place every spring.

“March 22, we will have our statewide disaster drill. That will take place at 9:50 a.m. So everybody in the state should be setting off their tornado sirens at that time,” Jadwin said. “Then starting the following week, the 29th, we will do our normal procedure of testing the sirens at 12, noon, every week. So, I just want people to be aware.”

Jadwin urges everyone to not just take the weather conditions for granted but to follow forecasts and be aware of conditions that could develop in an instant. However, the outdoor sirens aren’t the only tornado warning system the county uses. Smartphone technology also allows for localized weather alerts.

“The big thing is to either have your cell phones or radios set to get the alerts. We have the reverse 9-1-1 system for the county that people can sign up for. So that’s a big thing because most people have done away with their landlines so unless you sign up for our reverse 9-1-1 most people that just have a cell phone now will not get those alerts.”

The county also employs a federal system called IPAWS that sends out Weather Emergency Alerts across cell phone networks.

To learn more about the Muskingum County EMA and sign up for the reverse 9-1-1 service, you can visit their website.