The outdoor warning system will be tested one week early in the City of Pella due to Tulip Time. The test on Saturday will take the place of the normal test on May 4th to avoid confusion for visitors during the Tulip Time festivities and to prepare in the event of severe weather during the festival, according to Pella Police Administrative Services Manager Marcia Slycord. She also reminds residents that sirens in Pella are part of an outdoor, all-hazards siren system that is used to warn citizens of potential danger in a short amount of time, and is designed to provide coverage to those outdoors–-not inside buildings or structures.

Slycord says some of the key changes to the system made in 2020 is that sirens will be activated upon receipt of a tornado warning or for Severe Thunderstorm Warnings with special enhancements, and that some local employers and businesses will have their own criteria for shelter that could be different from what the police department uses.

She says sirens will now sound in a cycle of three minutes, followed by a 10-15 minute break for the duration of the threat, with both repeated until the end of a warning. There will no longer be an “all clear” signal. Citizens should be indoors and monitoring KNIA/KRLS for updates on the storm.