Tornado Sirens?

Question

Are they a warning that the weather has tornado potential or that a tornado has already touched down?

Answer 1

If the siren goes off, immediately get you and your family to safety.

Answer 2

In my town they tell us when one is coming in and we are to take immediate cover.They never set them off till one is spotted then ya gotta fly for cover.In fact i did that last month  but it went over us wow.The sirens usually are a warning siren one is in immediate area .

Answer 3

A tornado, wall cloud or funnel cloud has been spotted.  When a tornado warning is issued that means doppler radar has detected rotation in a storm or trained spotters have spotted a rotating wall cloud, funnel cloud, or a tornado on the ground.

If a tornado warning is issued for your area, do not panic. Go to a place of safety. Go to the lowest floor of your house like the basement. Once in the basement get under a sturdy piece of furniture or go into a bathroom in the basement. If no basement is available go in to an interior room such as a closet. If that is not available go in to an bathroom without windows. Stay away from outside walls and windows. Cover your head to protect from flying debris. Never try to out run a tornado in a car, if cought in a car and can not take no place of safety, lay down in a ditch and cover your head. Do not take cover under a over pass. Do not stay in mobile homes as they do not offer protection and can be flown as easily as cars can.

For local weather info. From the National Weather Service.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov

Storm Prediction center (responsible for issuing severe thunderstorm and tornado watches)

http://www.spc.noaa.gov

Answer 4

Tornado sirens go off when there is either the possibility of a tornado to form, or when there is already one on the ground near the sirened area. If you hear a tornado siren go off, immediately turn to one of your local news channels for coverage on the storm, assuming they are breaking in. Listen closely to the storm reports and most of all see if the storm is headed directly towards you. Sometimes tornado sirens go off even if the storm is going to miss you. So check in to see the path of the storm before taking shelter. If it's coming your way, be thinking of a place to go and go there. If by chance your local news stations aren't covering the storm, turn on the radio for more information.

Answer 5

It could be either one.  Either a tornado or funnel cloud has been sighted, or meteorologists have determined that radar indications are such that the thunderstorm may produce a tornado at any moment.  Those conditions initiate a tornado warning, with the Civil Defense then sounding the sirens.