Activation of Emergency Sirens
Chesterfield emergency weather alert system is a partnership with the City of Anderson system in order to provide a much broader alert area.
Since 2016 the alert system is not only activated for tornado warnings, but also for the threat of severe storms. The following is the criteria for activation:
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) or Madison County Emergency Management Agency (MCEMA) for the affected area when the storm is unusually severe due to very high winds, hail 1 inch or greater, or other extreme situations.
- Tornado Warning issued by the NWS or MCEMA for the affected area.
- When a wall cloud or microburst(s) is/are observed or reported (by NWS, MCEMA or weather observers) in the storm and the City of Anderson or surrounding communities are in the path of the storm.
- Immediate evacuation or notification of emergency is required due to hazardous material release, major levee breach or other disaster.
If the sirens are sounding, go inside, take shelter and if possible turn on a weather radio, radio or TV to find out why the sirens have been activated. DO NOT call 911 for more information. Only use 911 for emergencies.
HOW SHOULD I TAKE COVER?
To “take cover” means to go inside immediately. The sirens sound when it is not safe to be outside. Make sure that everyone in your family knows the safest place to be in your home during an emergency. During a severe weather emergency, a basement or another underground shelter is the safest place to be. If you do not have a basement, stay on the first floor and put as many walls between yourself and the outdoors as possible. Close all doors and stay away from exterior windows and doors. Monitor the radio or television if possible.
No matter where you are sheltering, always try to shelter under a heavy piece of furniture. If you live in a mobile home, it is extremely important to identify the closest safe place to take cover and shelter before an event. If your mobile home park does not have a storm shelter, consider speaking with the owner or manager about building or creating one. During severe weather, mobile homes are never a safe place to shelter, even if they are anchored to a foundation.
Remember, outdoor warning sirens are just that, outdoor warning. The sirens are meant to be heard outside to signal you to go indoors
Residents are urged to purchase a tone-alert, AC-DC Weather Radio – a radio that is designed to receive broadcasts from the local National Weather Service office. This is the best source of “Indoor Warning” you can have. Once you get a weather radio, you can program it to alert you of any watches or warnings in your area.
Another option is to download an emergency alert application to weather enabled devices such as your cell phone, if not already installed.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) can save your life. Here’s how it works. When the National Weather Service issues an urgent alert for your location—say, a tornado warning—the system looks to see which cell phone towers are included in the warning. All cell phone towers within the warning send out an instant emergency alert to WEA-enabled devices. The alert plays the classic emergency alert tone and pushes a notification to your screen that doesn’t go away until you acknowledge the alert.