Why it’s probably not best to rely on tornado sirens.

DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WTVY) - During severe weather events, sirens ring out. The alarms come from what’s called civil defense sirens.

People sometimes rely on those alerts to know when severe weather is near, but it should not be your only way to get a warning. Dale County EMA Director Willie Worsham said it’s intended to be an outdoor warning system and can be hard to hear inside.

Worsham also points out that most siren systems are outdated and expensive to upkeep.

“Way back when you could possibly hear them inside. The way houses are built now, they are more insulated. They also have storm windows, those sounds do not come into the window well,” Worsham said.

Worsham recommends to get multiple ways to get weather alerts, such as applications from your local television stations like the WTVY 4Warn Weather App, weather radios, or by staying tuned in to local media during severe weather events.

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