Severe Weather & Local Frequently Asked Questions

When will the sirens be activated? The Office of Emergency Management will activate the Outdoor Warning Sirens on a steady tone for 5 minutes when a Tornado Warning is in effect, a funnel/tornado has been sighted by an official spotter, and/or a tornado has been radar-indicated. When sounded, you should immediately move to shelter and listen to local radio or television stations for emergency warning information. Our office currently operates over 89 outdoor warning sirens that are designed to alert people who are outdoors of a potential emergency in the community. Outdoor Warning Sirens are NOT designed to be heard indoors.

Are there Public Community Shelters? In Amarillo there’s no place for the public to go that’s sanctioned by the city. The problem is the size of Amarillo makes it harder to keep everyone safe. Part of that is that our community is so much bigger and more spread out. There’s a real risk if people drive to shelter when the warning is issued and they will be put into a higher risk situation than if they just taken shelter in their own home or own location. Wind speeds of less than 100 mph can easily flip a car and there have been numerous cases of vehicles being carried up, dropped, and more commonly penetrated by flying debris. Over a third of the people killed by the Mid-May 2008 tornado outbreak died in a vehicle.

Where should I go if a tornado threatens? The best place to seek shelter is in a basement, storm shelter, or saferoom. If one is not available, use a small interior room, bathroom, closet, or hallway on the ground floor of your home or business. Mobile homes offer little protection in a tornado. If you do live in a mobile home, find a sturdy building nearby.