Joplin tornado sirens to be tested Monday

(From the City of Joplin)

The City of Joplin will conduct a city-wide testing of outdoor emergency sirens at 10 a.m., Monday, June 13, weather permitting. The City had three sirens that had to be replaced due to the tornado, located at 26th and Jefferson, 22nd and Indiana, and 20th and Duquesne. Two other sirens had to be reset due to the storm, located at 32nd and Maiden Lane and 32nd and Blackcat Road.


This testing is necessary to ensure that the siren system is working properly. No critical weather is forecast at this time, so please note that the sounding of the sirens in Joplin is a step in the testing procedure.

The siren sound consists of a steady tone for duration of three minutes. There will be no “all clear” sounded by the sirens. Under normal circumstances, siren testing is done every Monday morning (weather permitting) at 10 a.m. This testing is for one minute and is NOT conducted when threatening weather is in the area or when temperatures are below 50 degrees.

Outdoor warning sirens will be activated when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Jasper County, Newton County and/or Cherokee County, Kansas with a storm path including the City of Joplin, or when receiving a report from a trained spotter of a funnel or tornado sighted in or approaching Joplin.

Outdoor warning sirens will also be activated when the National Weather Service reports a storm system approaching Joplin producing sustained winds of 75 mph or greater. Keith Stammer, Emergency Management Director, reminds people that the siren warning is an alert for people who are outside, and is not designed to be heard from indoors. “The sirens provide a warning for anyone who is out of doors to go indoors, if possible, and take shelter,” he said. “People indoors cannot always expect to hear the outdoor warning sirens.”

Stammer encourages residents to utilize a NOAA Weather Radio that provides a warning signal when the area is under a watch or a warning. “The advantage of having a weather radio is that you hear the alerts directly from the National Weather Service, and are kept current of the warning status.” Weather radios are available at local retailers and are priced at approximately $30. Stammer also encourages people to watch the local television channels for updates and information about specific locations of storms. For more information, call 417-623-5858.