COLUMBUS, Ohio – It’s not as pleasant as the song of a bird returning from its migratory home down South, but it is a sort of sign that spring is approaching: Tornado warning sirens going off across the state during Wednesday’s statewide tornado drill.
The drill scheduled for 9:50 a.m. marks the middle of Ohio’s Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week, meant to remind residents that spring brings more potential for thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods and other weather-related problems.
The 195 sirens in Franklin County will be among those across the state that will be activated one time for three minutes, a longer tone than in the regular Wednesday noon tests, said Kelly McGuire, of Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security. The test tone will be the same “tornado warning” tone which would be used in an actual tornado warning, McGuire said.
The siren activation will be in place of the regular weekly test.
The state tests its Emergency Alert System during the drill, and emergency officials are urging families and businesses to participate in the drill by practicing their own emergency safety plans when the sirens activate.
When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for any part of Franklin County, McGuire says all the sirens will be activated even if the warning area covers only part of the county. The sirens will sound for three minutes at a time, then be silent for a seven-minute rest period, then repeat the cycle for as long as the warning is in effect.