Tornado sirens tested in Muskingum County

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- You may have noticed a siren sound earlier Wednesday morning.

As a part of severe weather awareness week in Ohio, there were statewide testings for tornado sirens.

Bo Keck, Director of the Muskingum County Emergency Management Agency, said they tested all 43 sirens located throughout Muskingum County.

“The testing went very well. We tested today at 9:50 a.m. in conjunction with the state of Ohio’s severe weather awareness test throughout the state. We did have one siren that did not go, it was something minor and has been repaired already,” said Keck.

The one siren that failed was in the Chandlersville area and was due to the radio signal. Keck said the EMA contracts a company to maintain the sirens, who immediately had that one repaired, back up and running, and ensure that they are all ready for an emergency.

“The sirens are outdoor warning devices. With the social media, the cell phones and so forth, there’s another way of people getting alerted. We just look at it as one of the tools in the toolbox to make sure that people are notified in case of a tornado,” said Keck.

The various locations of the sirens are determined by population. They are strategically placed to effectively notify the most people. Weather depending, each siren reaches a distance of about one mile away.

Keck said that from now on they will be testing the sirens every Wednesday at noon during tornado season.