Outdoor Warning Sirens

When outdoor warning sirens sound, the best advice is to seek shelter and turn on your radio to get the latest information. Seek shelter in your basement or an area with interior walls and no windows.

The sirens signal some type of emergency. Not limited to signaling a tornado, the sirens may be alerting the community to the possibility of a chemical spill, gas leak, or other natural or manmade disaster.

Sirens are tested the first Wednesday of each month at approximately 1 pm. Sirens in the City of Crookston are activated twice for testing purposes. Polk County Sheriff's Office is the primary activation site and the Crookston Fire Department is the backup activation site. Both tests are normally run back-to-back at approximately 1 pm.

Warning sirens are designed to be heard when you are outside. When you are inside your home, with the windows shut and either the air conditioning or the furnace running, the siren is not easily heard. The sound of the siren is also affected when strong winds are blowing.

For more information on current weather conditions, tune your radio to KROX (AM Radio 1260). Up-to-date weather information also is available by purchasing a weather radio, available at most electronics stores. Prices range from $30 to $80.