NORFOLK, Neb. -- With the beginning of “outdoor warning siren testing season”, the City of Norfolk is reminding the public about the outdoor warning sirens and weather radios.

The outdoor warning sirens are for the purpose of outdoor warning only, city officials said. These sirens can fill a citizen with a false sense of security, the city said in a press release, noting that sirens will often not be heard due to loud storms and winds.

The network of outdoor warning sirens are intended for people are outside and may not have access to other means of severe weather warning notification. If severe weather is present, the residents of the City of Norfolk should not wait until the outdoor warning sirens go off before they head indoors and/or to a safe place for cover.

The City of Norfolk does not have public storm shelters, so all citizens need to plan ahead for a safe place to go when severe weather hits, city leaders said.

Everyone should also pay close attention to all media outlets for severe weather alerts and warnings, the press release noted, stating that another good idea is to purchase a weather radio with battery backup and/or severe weather apps for smartphones. However, the loss of internet and electricity is also a threat during severe weather, so battery backup devices tend to be more reliable than the phone apps.

If current weather conditions generate a legitimate life-safety issue necessitating a siren activation, the outdoor warning sirens will be sounding/alerting and every citizen of the City of Norfolk should seek shelter immediately. Here are 3 examples:

1. Tornado Warning Issued for Madison County and/or sighting of rotating funnel cloud/tornado

2. Straight Line Winds in Excess of 70 mph

3. Hail of 2” Diameter or Larger

Each of these severe weather conditions could potentially lead to a life-safety issue as with high wind speeds, large trees and hail can come through windows, roofs and through sides of buildings. City officials said their goal is for all residents of the City of Norfolk to be as prepared as possible and to give them ample time to seek shelter.