Emergency sirens blared in San Marcos amid severe weather
SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – San Marcos’ emergency sirens activated Monday night amid strong storms throughout Central Texas.
The city said in a Facebook post that it triggered the sirens in response to the National Weather Service issuing a Flash Flood Warning.
“These sirens are triggered each time a warning is issued and align with alerts sent to phones and weather radios,” the city said in its post.
Many took to social media Monday after hearing the sirens, concerned there was a tornado moving through San Marcos.
“To experience [the sirens] firsthand, there was a small sense of dread, like, ‘Oh God, what is happening?'” San Marcos resident Claire Barnes said. “Everyone was just freaking out. Then later that night, the city posted, ‘Oh, hey, there’s no tornado.'”
San Marcos announced the implementation of 14 outdoor warning sirens in 2024. All 14 were operational in August 2024, but Monday was the first time they sounded.
“The sirens can be activated manually and automatically. The current automatic activations are for immediate natural disasters that could affect public safety, i.e., for tornado warnings and flash flood warnings,” said Reese Martin, the assistant emergency management coordinator for San Marcos.
Martin said he was pleased that so many heard the sirens, but that the public outcry following the activation signaled not everyone was aware of them, and more public outreach may be necessary.
“I think that the public just needs to understand that outdoor warning systems have evolved from just a standard tornado siren to an integrated part of an overall warning system that we use to warn the public of disasters or hazards,” Martin said.
The flash flood warning last night was especially important for people living in tents by rivers who would need to get to higher ground quickly.
Ahead of a stormy week, Martin encouraged people living in San Marcos to register with Warn Central Texas to find out why a siren is activating. This service allows local officials to send notifications to people during public safety events.
According to previous KXAN reporting, the Outdoor Warning System will emit three tone patterns, including:
- Tornado warning: Single pitch that is a long and steady tone and last for three minutes
- Wildland fire: Alternates between high and low tones lasting for three minutes
- Public safety threat: Wave-like pitch that will change in tone every 16 seconds for a total of three minutes
