Expect to Hear Tornado Sirens, Even on a Clear Day This Month

If you hear tornado warning sirens for short 30-second bursts, don't worry, the county is just performing a bit of maintenance work.

Beginning Monday, officials announced that Oakland County would be performing routine maintenance work on Birmingham's outdoor warning sirens throughout September.

Once the work is completed at each siren, the siren wil be test for approximately 30 seconds to ensure it's in proper working order. Residents will hear the normal siren sound, but only for a short burst.

According to a note on the city's website, residents should not confuse this short burst with an actual activation of the city's outdoor warning sirens, which last three minutes and have a steady tone. According to the Oakland County Homeland Security Divison, this means a tornado warning is in effect or there is a severe thunderstorm with damaging winds in excess of 70 miles per hour in the area.

If the three-minute siren is heard, residents should seek shelter immediately and listen to a radio or televsion for more information.

The city's outdoor warning sirens are typically tested on the first Saturday each month (with the exception of December-February), consisting of the three-minute siren tone.