What makes the torndao sirens go off?

Question

So we've had really bad weather here in sw ohio tonight and the stupid sirens have gone off 4 times now in the last 2 hours. Each time I have to jump and run to the basement with my kids cause I freak out. What determines when the siren sounds? Does it pick up wind and cloud rotation or does the weather center control it?

Answer 1

your local weather center controls your city's emergency sirens...if they determine that a supercell (tornado) has or is forming and they feel an imminent threat they will sound the siren as a warning to the population...most likely your area is experiencing multiple cloud formations that appear to have the potential or are becoming tornados all you can do is follow the sirens warnings as we are never sure when the tornado will fully develop and touch-down...hope this helps

Answer 2

The weather centre controls the sirens. Also, sometimes storm chasers report severe weather to the stations.

Sometimes it seems like severe weather may start to happen but then the clouds may lose form and no longer are seen as a threat...then they can build again, etc. Hence why the sirens may be going off so frequently. In my opinion, it's better to have many false warnings than none at all.