It may be hard to believe with this week’s snow, but the spring severe weather season is just around the corner. To prepare, the county’s and city’s regular outdoor warning siren system tests resume this month. Here are their schedules:
Washtenaw County operated sirens will be tested at noon on the first Saturday of every month from March through October. This means that this Saturday, March 5, at noon is the first Washtenaw County siren test of the year.
The City of Ann Arbor’s sirens are tested every second Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm. Testing of sirens is performed from March through November. This means that this Tuesday, March 8, at 1 pm. is the first City siren test of the year.
If there’s a severe weather threat on the afternoon of a test, the test will be delayed until the following month.
Outside of scheduled tests, these sirens sound in case of:
- A tornado warning anywhere in Washtenaw County.
- A severe thunderstorm warning with confirmed winds of 75 miles per hour or greater anywhere in Washtenaw County.
- A hazardous material spill that requires immediate protective action.
- Any other local emergency that requires immediate action or for other national threats such as an imminent threat alert from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – National Terrorism Advisory System.
When you hear these sirens, you should go inside, take cover, and tune in to one of the county’s emergency broadcasters for further information:
- WEMU 89.1 FM
- WWWW 102.9 FM
- WQKL 107.1 FM (City of Ann Arbor only)
- WTKA 1050 AM (City of Ann Arbor only)
- WLBY 1290 AM (City of Ann Arbor only)
For the City of Ann Arbor, emergency alerts will also be broadcast on Community Television Network (channels 16, 17, 18 and 19), emailed to “emergency alerts” subscribers, and shared via the city’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
For more information: