Severe Weather Information

In Texas, severe weather can strike anytime and cause significant damage. Several Texas citizens lose their lives each year to severe weather, including lightening and thunderstorms. The City of Hurst, like the rest of the state is not immune to severe weather. Springtime is the time of year when the weather can be the most unsettled, but the fall months have also been known to spawn severe weather.

The City of Hurst operates eight (8) outdoor emergency warning sirens. These sirens are designed to warn people who are outdoors. A frequent complaint about these sirens is that citizens cannot hear them indoors. These sirens are not designed to be heard inside buildings and homes. The ambient noise inside homes and businesses from televisions, radios, and other devices plus the insulating qualities of the buildings themselves, make it unlikely that any outdoor system would be effective. If you are outdoors and hear the sirens (except on the first Wednesday of the month at 1:00 pm) you should go indoors and turn on the television or radio to receive emergency information. The activation criterion for the siren system is hail greater than 1" in diameter, sustained winds in excess of 60 mph., or the confirmed sighting of a tornado or funnel cloud by storm spotters or law enforcement agencies. Other emergencies such as a hazardous material release could be a reason for the sirens to be sounded. If they are heard and the weather is clear, go indoors and turn on your television or radio for emergency information.

Weather Links:

• http://www.weather.com/safeside (A weather preparedness program by The Weather Channel.)
  
• http://www.spc.noaa.gov/ (Storm Prediction Center of National Weather Service)
  
• http://www.srh.weather.gov/fwd (National Weather Service radar - Forth Worth)