20-03-2025
Ohio tests tornado sirens ahead of spring storm season
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — As the spring season arrives, so does severe weather, leading to statewide tests of tornado sirens Wednesday.
The sirens may have been just a test today, but with severe weather potentially coming into the Miami Valley this evening, drills like this are more important than ever.
For Miami Valley residents, these sirens have often been the difference between safety and disaster.
Windy and mild today with thunderstorms by evening
'Growing up, I don't remember having the weather like we're having now,' said Sheriff Rob Streck.
Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck is very familiar with how the weather can turn from high winds to a tornado in the blink of an eye. Streck says he and his son were on their back porch when a tornado hit. 'Me and my son learned an important lesson that night, because I had always just grown up when a tornado warning goes off, I want to see the storm and all that,' said Streck. 'Living in this area, we don't do that anymore.'
When tornadoes hit the county just a short time ago, it was sirens and media alerts that saved lives.
'When we experienced tornadoes here in the Montgomery County area of the region, there were no fatalities at that point in our area,' said Streck. 'And we've always said most of that is due to the media coverage that occurred and tornado sirens.'
The sheriff says to pay attention to those alerts and never disregard the sound of sirens.
'We really have to pay attention when the sirens go off nowadays, because every time they go off, there's usually something, whether it's high winds or whether it is actually a tornado that may have touched down somewhere,' said Streck.
And it's very important to find that safe spot in your home, but to also make sure you have a way to communicate with loved ones. 'It's always important to have a charged cell phone nowadays,' said Streck. 'Weather radios, items like that. Have multiple ways of listening so that you know what's going on.'
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office recommends staying weather alert at all times — they have an app on their website called Code Red that can send emergency alerts.
You can also stay weather-ready with STORM TEAM 2 online and on our weather app.
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