Outdoor warning sirens will alert today beginning at 10 a.m. as part of Iowa’s statewide tornado drill for Severe Weather Awareness Week.

According to Webster County Emergency Management Coordinator Dylan Hagen, the steady alert tone will activate at 10 a.m. and run for three minutes.

The steady tone denotes a weather warning whereas the Saturday noon test is a wail tone. The county changed and separated the tones in 2023 to help residents distinguish a test from an actual warning.

“We want to stress the importance of the sirens being meant for outdoor warning,” added Hagen. “This means if you’re outdoors and you hear the sirens, you should move indoors to a safe location and check the local weather. There is no all clear tone.”

The county’s outdoor warning sirens are activated within the warned area for tornado warnings or severe thunderstorm warnings with winds of 70 mph or greater, or for hail that is golf ball size or larger.

“I encourage everyone to take time to practice their plan or to discuss what they would do during this time whether at work, school, at home, etc.,” said Hagen.

Hagen also recommended that residents prepare for severe weather by planning ahead and filling cars with fuel, having extra non-perishable food items available as well as drinking water, and ensuring that medications are full.

Free public safety and weather alerts specific to Webster County are available by texting WebsterIA to 67283.