SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Even though the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning early Wednesday morning, San Marcos’ emergency sirens did not activate.
Since becoming operational again in August 2024, the sirens have activated only once on Monday, after NWS issued a flash flood warning in the area that night. After they sounded, it caused widespread confusion, leading many to assume a tornado had touched down in San Marcos.
“I think that the public just needs to understand that outdoor warning systems have evolved from just a standard tornado siren to an integrated part of an overall warning system that we use to warn the public of disasters or hazards,” Reese Martin, the assistant emergency management coordinator for San Marcos, said on Tuesay.
The city of San Marcos told KXAN that due to Monday’s confusion, it temporarily turned off the function that automatically triggers the sirens after a NWS natural disaster warning is received.
“The sirens were not activated during the flash flood warning issued early [Wednesday] morning, as the automatic alert was temporarily turned off during the evaluation period. However, that setting has since been re-enabled as we work to finalize guidance,” the city said in a statement to KXAN.
“As part of that effort, we are also working to improve public education around what the sirens mean in different emergency scenarios. The City’s goal is to ensure that residents understand how to respond when they hear the sirens and to maintain trust in the system as a reliable tool for public safety,” the statement continued.
San Marcos announced the implementation of 14 outdoor warning sirens in 2024. All 14 were operational in August 2024, but Monday was the first time they sounded. The city said flash flood sirens are important for people living in tents by rivers who would need to get to higher ground quickly.
Ahead of a stormy week, Martin encouraged people living in San Marcos to register with Warn Central Texas to find out why a siren is activating. This service allows local officials to send notifications to people during public safety events.
According to previous KXAN reporting, the Outdoor Warning System will emit three tone patterns, including:
Tornado warning: Single pitch that is a long and steady tone and last for three minutes Wildland fire: Alternates between high and low tones lasting for three minutes Public safety threat: Wave-like pitch that will change in tone every 16 seconds for a total of three minutes Read More Details
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