HOUSTON — A tornado touching down in west Harris County led a viewer to ask about tornado sirens in our area.
"There was a tornado that happened in Katy last night," Charlotte Johnson wrote to KHOU 11. "I live one exit from where this happened. There were no alerts or sirens to inform us this was happening. What measures are in place to inform the public to take shelter in the event this happens again?"
Tornado sirens are used to alert people in case of weather and other threats. The National Weather Service said they are intended as an outdoor warning system.
The KHOU 11 VERIFY team did some research on where tornado sirens are located across the Houston area and here's what they found.
City of Houston
The City of Houston does not have sirens for tornadoes or other hazards.
When a tornado warning is issued, the National Weather Service sends a Wireless Emergency Alert to the location that may be impacted. These alerts are broadcast via cell phone tower and are received on a cell phone like an Amber Alert.
Houston OEM urges residents to prepare for all hazards that we may see in our region, including tornadoes, by having personal preparedness plans that include both sheltering-in-place and evacuating. To learn more about how your family can prepare, check here.
Houstonians can sign up to receive emergency notifications by visiting AlertHouston.org
City of Baytown
Currently, there are 22 sirens located across Baytown that are activated for both chemical emergencies and tornado warnings.
The Baytown Siren System was initially designed as a community warning system for chemical emergencies due to the proximity of industrial facilities. Last year’s tornado that impacted Baytown, Deer Park, and Pasadena prompted the Southeast Emergency Management Coordinator Group to amend local protocols to include the activation of sirens for tornadoes.
The entire siren system is activated for tornado warnings by the National Weather Service. The upgraded technology can recognize warning polygons issued by NWS, specific to Baytown, in order to activate the sirens.
City of Deer Park
The City of Deer Park has a network of 10 outdoor warning sirens that can be activated for tornados. The system was activated during the January 2023 tornado that struck Deer Park. Sirens were upgraded in 2023 and include a strobe on the pole that is visible for the hearing impaired. The sirens are primarily used for chemical release notifications for shelter-in-place.
Pasadena
The city is working on getting funding approved to expand the 15 sirens that are in place now.
University of Houston
The University of Houston has three Outdoor Warning Systems that are part of the UH ALERT emergency system. The sirens are designed to alert students, faculty and staff in the event it might not be safe to be outdoors. During a real emergency, the system is used in conjunction with other communication channels like email, the UH ALERT website and text messaging.
The sirens are placed at the highest points on campus.