A Test of Longview’s Emergency Sirens

LONGVIEW – Longview’s emergency warning sirens are scheduled to be tested at noon on Wednesday. Each of the city’s 20 sirens will be tested and individually observed to ensure that all sirens are working properly. Fire Chief J.P. Steelman said last Sunday the sirens were activated after the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for southeastern Gregg County. According to Steelman, “We’ve received reports from some residents that they heard the sirens while other residents have said they didn’t hear the sirens. Due to some electrical issues caused by power surges during the storm, we are unable to conclusively determine from our normal electronic report whether every siren sounded properly on Sunday evening.” So, with the possibility of strong thunderstorms again this weekend, they felt it would be best to do an additional test of the siren system to make sure everything is functioning properly.

Longview residents are encouraged to sign up for the Code Red Weather Warning and Emergency Notification System, which is a free service that sends National Weather Service and other emergency notifications for the Longview area by phone or text. Sign up online at LongviewTexas.gov/CodeRed or by calling 903-237-1170. According to Chief Steelman, “Our siren system is designed to be heard while outdoors. So, we really encourage people to have another way to be notified of severe weather by signing up for CodeRed.”