What does it mean when sirens blare in Nebraska? It varies by location

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The rules for when to sound sirens differ among cities and counties in Nebraska, which can be confusing – and potentially dangerous – during life-threatening conditions.

The sirens sounded in Lincoln last Friday as tornadoes rolled through the area, but some are unsure about what they actually mean.

“I don’t know if it means the city of Lincoln or even necessarily our county, so it’s kind of unclear,” Jonathan Dearmont said.

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And he’s not alone. Lincoln residents Alexis Koetters and Julia Smith also said they have a fair amount of uncertainty about what the sirens signal.

“Was it close? Where is it?” Smith asked. “I feel like I would still have to rely on the news and other people to know if it was super urgent.”

Jim Davidsaver, the director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency, said you should be relying on other sources besides the sirens.

“Those outdoor warning sirens, those should not be your first warning system,” he said. “That should be that alert of final notice, so to speak. As I said, when you hear those sirens, it is time to seek shelter immediately.”

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There are three reasons why the sirens go off in Lancaster County.

The first is if the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning in the county.

Davidsaver said that’s common in almost all counties in the state.

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But something that’s more unique to the area is the use of storm spotters.

The emergency management agency has several trained spotters, and the sirens will go off if two of them confirm that a tornado has touched the ground.

And finally, the sirens sound for any life-threatening emergency, not just tornadoes.

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But not all counties or cities follow this same protocol, so they may sound their sirens for different reasons.

That’s why it’s important for you to have other information resources during a storm.

Dearmont said the siren last Friday was a signal to him to check with local experts.

“I turned on, actually, Channel 8 to watch and make sure I was paying attention to local meteorologists,” he said.

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For some, a siren means to look to the skies.

“I love storms, so I definitely had the news on, but I was also just kept peeking outside to see how the weather was,” Smith said.

But Davidsaver wants to make it clear: No matter where you are, you should have multiple ways to get alerts. And take the sirens seriously when you hear them.

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This time of year, the county also tests the sirens at 10:15 a.m. on the first Wednesday of every month.

But when it’s overcast or if there’s a threat of severe weather, they won’t be tested.