Emergency Management Crews Repair Tulsa Storm Siren; Urge Residents To Be Weather Aware

A damaged storm siren in south Tulsa is working again, but the people who run the system say you shouldn’t count on it as your only warning.

Tulsa County’s outdoor storm warning system is back up to full strength after the replacement of a siren that was damaged by high wind. The siren at 121st and Yale, with 3,000 watts of power, able to blast out a warning that can be heard more than a mile away, was replaced this week.

“Our system is back up at full capacity, with 102 sirens,” said Joe Kralicek, Tulsa County’s Emergency Management Director.

Even with the network of sirens, and alerts that now sometimes come through cell phones, Kralicek urges people to get a weather radio so they’ll get alerts, even if they come overnight.

This past week, heavy rain prompted flooding in several counties and triggered storm alerts while most people were sleeping.

“And so especially with all the rainfall we've had in the area, we want people to stay weather aware, especially if the rains get heavy,” said Kralicek.