Sirens to sound at 11:15 a.m. today in Jamestown as part of statewide tornado exercise

As part of Severe Summer Awareness Week activities, the annual statewide tornado exercise will also be conducted today. The exercise has been scheduled to begin at about 11:15 a.m. with a simulated tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service. In response to this simulated warning, a countywide exercise of the emergency operations plan will also take place. The plan is designed to warn the greatest number of people in the least amount of time.

As part of the exercise, sirens will be activated in area communities including the city of Jamestown. In most communities, sirens will be activated for approximately 3 minutes. In addition, the simulated warning will be broadcast over the National Weather Service all-hazards weather radio system and local AM/FM radio stations. In Jamestown, the simulated warning will also be broadcast over local cable television interrupt systems.

During the summer, the most common reason a community's warning sirens are activated is to warn the public of a possible tornado. However, the sirens could also be activated to alert the public of other types of events that could be a danger to the community. Hearing the sirens is the signal to tune into any of the local radio stations and to follow official instructions being broadcast.Cable television subscribers will also be able to turn on their TV and hear official instructions being broadcast by either the National Weather Service or officials at the Law Enforcement Center.

Tags: weather warnings, tornado exercise, local news, news, updates, weather