Siren No. 1 at E 12th St N & N 11th Ave E malfunctioned at 4:00 p.m. Public Works Operations staff deactivated it by 4:35 p.m. A contracted siren technician replaced an alert chip on August 11 and told staff the siren was functional. A crew will investigate today (Thursday) to diagnose the issue and continue to work towards a definitive solution for these city-wide issues. The next scheduled test of the sirens is Wednesday, September 6 at 10 a.m.
Outdoor Warning Siren Protocols
In Newton, Jasper County Communications Center (JCCC) is authorized to activate sirens on behalf of local communities for for tornado warnings, extreme winds and large hail. For alerts indoors, every home and business should have a NOAA Weather All-Hazards Radio.
WHAT THE SIRENS MEAN
- The warning siren will be activated by JCCC upon receipt of a tornado warning that includes Newton in the polygon area issued by the National Weather Service.
- Sirens may also be activated for a tornado warning if a tornado or funnel cloud reported by a trained spotter/public safety official OR multiple 911 calls are received by the JCCC suggesting conformation of a tornado.
- The warning siren will be activated by JCCC for high winds exceeding 72 mph or strong winds accompanied by hail capable of producing serious injury.
- The warning siren will be activated by JCCC for golf ball size hail or larger.
View the Jasper County Outdoor Warning Siren Protocol for more details.