LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One of the many signs spring is around the corner...tornado sirens.
Every year in March the National Weather Service conducts a statewide test in Kentucky and Indiana. Kentucky was first, and Louisville's MetroSafe showed WHAS11 how the sirens are activated.
"All in all, we have over 135 sirens. As of yesterday, 136," Cody Ashbaugh of MetroSafe said.
Ashbaugh said all of the 135 sirens are triggered via the click of a button within a minute of a tornado warning being issued. Sounding in three minute increments, someone at MetroSafe manually activates the sirens every three minutes until the tornado warning is over.
"It's going and checking every siren to make sure that the audio levels are good, then it's activating turning at the right speed," Ashbaugh said.
The system monitors other things too, such as battery level, power supply, and even if a door on the siren has been opened.
The biggest misconception with sirens is the audience it's meant for.
"The number one thing is sirens are not built to be heard indoors. Modern houses are built with super thick walls, triple pane glass, we get calls all the time, 'I didn't hear the sirens,'" Ashbaugh said.
It's important to have other methods of getting weather alerts to your cell phone, such as a NOAA weather radio or the free WHAS11 app. Speaking of radios, MetroSafe said their public radio safety system can reach over 20,000 radios in the city, helping ensure that as many people are reached about public threats - weather or otherwise - as possible.
MetroSafe is also excited about a new tool at their disposal, siren number 136.
It's mobile and will add flexibility for large public events, such as Thunder Over Louisville or Derby.
Featuring loud-speakers and a lightning detector, it can be used in high-density areas to also bring emergency weather or safety alerts to the public.
"Basically what this is is an intelligent siren on a trailer with solar power, battery backups, generator, everything," Ashbaugh said. "So from the siren, we're able to do voice notifications that say a tornado warning has been issued, evacuate the area. Or an active aggressor has to reported, evacuate the area."
Lexington also has one of these new mobile sirens, and both cities are one of only a handful in the country with this new technology, which was purchased with federal grant money.
It's also important to have an emergency safety kit ready in the event your home is impacted by a tornado. Items a kit should have include: water, clothing, pet supplies, bike or football helmet to protect your head, boots or thick-soled shoes, cash, disinfectant, a whistle, and a flashlight. Many other objects can be included.
Remember, when a tornado warning is issued, seek shelter immediately. Take cover in the lowest level, most interior portion of whatever building you're in away from outside walls and windows. This might be an interior closet, bathroom, or stairwell.
If you live in a mobile home, have a designated safe spot you can get to quickly. Mobile homes are some of the most dangerous places you can be during a tornado.
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