Ozark, Mo. -- Residents of Ozark now have an additional layer of safety in the event of severe weather, as the city recently installed a new storm siren near East Elementary.
The siren will aid in letting residents in that area know the National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning and to take cover. This location was chosen to maximize siren coverage.
"This is the third siren within the last five years to be installed, the most recent being near West Elementary," said Safety Compliance & MS4 Coordinator Tim Auchtung. "This addition brings the city's total to eleven sirens, ensuring that all city residents and several people living in the county know when a tornado warning has been issued."
Auchtung reminds everyone that these sirens are designed and used to warn people outside, though depending on where someone might live, they may hear them while inside. When the sirens are activated, they rotate 360 degrees and can be heard roughly a mile away.
"The sirens are designed to sound for three minutes, followed by a ten-minute cooldown period; otherwise, they will burn up. If a tornado warning is still in effect after the cooldown period, the sirens will sound again," said Auchtung.
The city worked with Outdoor Warning Consulting LLC and Liberty Utilities to purchase and install the siren.
All eleven sirens are tested on the second Wednesday of every month unless severe weather is in the area. The city encourages everyone to have a plan in place for when severe weather strikes.