BOAZ, Ala. (WHNT) — The first full week of February is Severe Weather Awareness Week here in Alabama. All week the Weather Authority has stressed preparedness and planning as two of the main topics.
Meteorologist Jessica Camuto traveled to Boaz to learn more about their outdoor siren system.
Boaz Fire Chief Jeff Beck recently asked the mayor and city council if they plan to continue maintenance of the outdoor tornado sirens in the city limits. While no sirens are fully down at the moment, Beck says many are in dire need of repair.
“They are all functional, but they have multiple amplifiers, which are the speakers, and some of the speakers are not working,” Beck said. “They do provide sound, just not the 100% sound you are supposed to hear.”
Boaz has a total of nine tornado sirens in the city limits.
Eight of those sirens automatically go off once a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service. Warnings within the polygon will go off based on computer software at the Boaz Police Department.
The siren that is located outside of the fire station, however, has to be manually activated when a tornado warning is issued.
Residents that News 19 spoke to told us how they would like to see the sirens stay.
One resident, in particular, does in fact have other methods of receiving multiple weather alerts but her child hears the siren and immediately knows what to do.
While having the NOAA Weather Radio, a Weather Alert App, or just tuning into television, the siren still provides comfort for some.
“They are 2006 models, we’ve had work on them in the past but it is every year that we have to do maintenance on them,” Beck continued. “I’m getting a quote from the maintenance personnel doing the work on the weather sirens and then I will approach the city council and the mayor and see what direction they want to go in.
The safety of the residents in Boaz is the main concern for not only Beck but the city officials.
Whatever the city decides to do in the future it will work hard to make sure everyone in the city remains prepared and safe when it comes to weather events!
Importance Of Having Multiple Ways To Get Weather Alerts
Outdoor sirens are still a form of comfort for many residents in the Boaz community, but they are meant to be heard by individuals outside. It is crucial to have other ways to receive weather alerts when severe weather is in the forecast.
Downloading the Live Alert 19 app is one of those options, you can go into the settings and set alerts for your locations. An NOAA Weather Radio is another option that would help alert you, especially at night when you are asleep.
No matter what you can always count on the Weather Authority, National Weather Service, and local emergency personnel to keep you safe when severe weather strikes.
