Listen to our storm coverage OR YOU WILL DIE

[Conan71]

I was not even aware the sirens had gone off until I read it here.  I guess that's one drawback to Thermal Windows: "The quality shines through, but you can't hear a tornado siren through them". 

I seldom ever hear the trash truck on my block and they typically run about 6 to 6:15 am.  I'd definitely be a great advocate for their sound deadening abilities.

[Gaspar]

I was not even aware the sirens had gone off until I read it here.  I guess that's one drawback to Thermal Windows: "The quality shines through, but you can't hear a tornado siren through them". 

I seldom ever hear the trash truck on my block and they typically run about 6 to 6:15 am.  I'd definitely be a great advocate for their sound deadening abilities.

I'll PM you the next time they go off. . . or zap you a quick email.

[charky]

I think it's time for some regulation here. The weather stations just go nuts and that is putting lives in harms way should the real thing hit. They have weather all the time on channel 2.2 and channel 6.2 but they still repeat the same crap on channel 2.1 & channel 6.1.. They even ran the weather over the popular TV show "Deal or No Deal"

Nonsense. I wasn't watching TV overnight...but if the TV mets were on continuously...then I believe it was the right call.

And that was the absolute correct call by the city to sound the sirens. I easily had 80 mph winds at my house...and talking to my buddies at work...they said radar velocity signatures suggested winds up to 100 mph. Loads of tree damage in my neighborhood...and just now got power back after being out for 10 hours. Kudos to the city for the quick response.

[patric]

The sirens woke me up too, though, it took me a minute to even realize what it was.  by the time I got out of bed and turned on the TV, the storm had basically passed our location.

I've never heard such a wussy high pitched storm siren.  That thing needs to be replaced.  They need to put in that style of siren some of the ambulances have, where you almost feel it in your body, that low-pitched sort of weird noise.

They woke me up around 5, but it took a while to discern it from other sounds because of all the white noise of the driving rain.  When they are tested, it's always a clear day and they come through distinctly, but in an actual storm not so much.  Also, if all you hear is the steady tone (and not the rise/fall) it's not immediately apparent what it is.

Tulsa has been phasing out the discontinued Whelen WS-3016 sirens for smaller, more powerful ones that have the four trumpets and a lower tone.
The older style is here:

Newer Whelen style:

[Hoss]

They woke me up around 5, but it took a while to discern it from other sounds because of all the white noise of the driving rain.  When they are tested, it's always a clear day and they come through distinctly, but in an actual storm not so much.  Also, if all you hear is the steady tone (and not the rise/fall) it's not immediately apparent what it is.

Tulsa has been phasing out the discontinued Whelen WS-3016 sirens for smaller, more powerful ones that have the four trumpets and a lower tone.
The older style is here:

Newer Whelen style:

And actually, Tulsa has some of the only dual-tone 3016s left (what they have left)

Here's what one sounds like...I think they're ominous sounding and have an old video somewhere where I recorded it.

Here's another from south Tulsa...these dual tone Whelen's are spooky sounding.

[patric]

And actually, Tulsa has some of the only dual-tone 3016s left (what they have left)
...I think they're ominous sounding

It's the high note of the older model that gives it that ominous wailing quality.  You can hear a mix of the old and new around midtown. 

Before the Whelan sirens, Tulsa had dual-tone Federal Signal Thunderbolt 1000T's, a very old-school mechanical siren with a big rotating yellow trumpet to hail the coming of nuclear Armageddon.  Now those were ominous sounding, rich in harmonics, but they were power-line dependent and high-maintenance.

[Hoss]

It's the high note of the older model that gives it that ominous wailing quality.  You can hear a mix of the old and new around midtown. 

Before the Whelan sirens, Tulsa had dual-tone Federal Signal Thunderbolt 1000T's, a very old-school mechanical siren with a big rotating yellow trumpet to hail the coming of nuclear Armageddon.  Now those were ominous sounding, rich in harmonics, but they were power-line dependent and high-maintenance.

Like this?:

[Red Arrow]

The Federal Q Siren is pretty awesome on a firetruck.

[Conan71]

Like this?:

Boy, there's a scary memory from my youth.  The ramp up and ramp down were especially spooky to me on the Federal Signal.  As I recall, they had the old Civil Defense decals on them.  I also remember Tulsa adding more and more of these during the 1970's.  They added one at Barnard Elem. when I was still there and some other elementary schools as well.



Here's a restored one:



I can still remember folding the Tulsa Tribune outside Steve's Sundry when the Dec. 1975 tornado hit.  We could see the dark clouds off to the east and it looked menacing.  Scared the living crap out of me when those sirens went off.  That all hit well to the east (21st & Garnett to 129th corridor as I recall), but to a 10 year old (I split a route with my older brother who was "old enough" to carry for NPC) who knew nothing about tornadoes, and how they travel even being within five or six miles was pretty scary.  Sorry for the pre-senility ramble 

Just a random question, what is the expected "reach" of each storm alert siren?

[Hoss]

(reduced quote for brevity)

Just a random question, what is the expected "reach" of each storm alert siren?

I think it depends on Make/model.  Each one is designed differently, but I believe the 'standard' is 1 mile.  Don't quote me on that though.

Most sirens (especially the old Federals) are rated at about 130 dB @ 100 feet.

[dbacks fan]

Growing up 4 blocks from and going to MacAurthur, Whitney, and Nathan Hale this is the type that was next to MacAurthur.

[Hoss]

I wish someone would make or maybe already has made a map of the locations of each of the sirens in Tulsa.  I remember seeing one of the old 1000Ts when I went to elementary school (it was actually located on the property line between Lindbergh Elementary and Eastwood Church) but don't see one there anymore.

[Conan71]

Nice article on coverage in Tulsa World:

"Area outdoor warning sirens have varying audible ranges. Sand Springs' 19 sirens, for example, reach 70 decibels up to a half-mile away, said Greg Fisher, the city's emergency management director.

Seventy decibels is equivalent to the noise generated by average street traffic.

Tulsa's warning system is made up of 84 sirens with a one-mile range, while Owasso's 15 sirens reach 70 decibels up to two miles away."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2009/tonados/1.aspx

[carltonplace]

Interesting that 31st and Peoria is a "dead zone".

[Conan71]

Interesting that 31st and Peoria is a "dead zone".

Especially considering that one of the June 8, 1974 tornados tore up Brookside pretty good.  An interesting note from the article for those who have not had time to read it: One of the people quoted from our local emergency management team said storm alert sirens are not designed to warn people inside their homes or buildings, rather that sounds like more of a bonus.  They are to alert people who are outside.  He said everyone should spend $25 and get a weather alert radio unless they are on really hard times.  I'd never heard that about the sirens before.

I was awakened by the wind and rain when it came through this morning.