St. Louis County Outdoor Warning Sirens
The Office of Emergency Management is responsible for the maintenance and repair of over two hundred outdoor warning sirens located throughout St. Louis County.
Siren Testing Information
The Countywide siren test is on the first Monday of every month at 11:00 a.m., weather permitting.
To report a siren that does not sound during the test and is in need of repair, you may send the information via e-mail to Captain Robert Young, OEM Commander, or call our office at (314) 628-5400
To report an unscheduled siren activation, do not e-mail. Call our office from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at (314) 628-5400. After hours call St. Louis County Police Headquarters at (314) 889-2341.
Siren Activation Procedure
The St. Louis County Police Department will activate the outdoor warning siren system whenever the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for a Missouri County adjacent to St. Louis County and the direction of the storm path poses a threat to St. Louis County. If a tornado warning is subsequently issued for St. Louis County, the sirens will again be activated. This policy was created to provide more time for our citizens to gather information and seek shelter from severe and threatening weather.
If the tornado warning sirens are activated (a 3-5 minutes steady alert tone), individuals should immediately seek information, then shelter if recommended. Check local television and radio broadcasts, or alerts issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) over any "tone alert weather monitor" activated by the NWS. Immediate evacuation may not always be warranted based upon the location of the storm, so it is important that local media sources or weather radios be monitored for the duration of the warning.
There is no all clear message sounded through the siren system. Listen to the National Weather Service for the information.
Tornado Watches and Warnings
Warning the public of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes is the National Weather Service's most important job. To help the public prepare for tornado situations a tornado watch and tornado warning program has been developed.
Tornado Watch: This means that conditions are favorable for tornado development. This is the time to prepare. You should keep alert by listening to radio, television or weather radio for the latest weather information. Know where your children are. Be aware of where you will go and what you will do if a tornado threatens.
Tornado Warning: This means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar. People in the path of the storm should take immediate life saving actions.