City of Tulsa upgrading tornado sirens

The new sirens are Omni-directional, meaning they can be heard from any direction.

They’re also louder, so they can be heard from farther away. The old sirens could be heard from about 5,000 feet away; the new ones extend that distance to 6,000 feet.

The city says the new sirens won’t require as much maintenance either. The old sirens rotated around to reach all directions, but the new ones don’t have that moving part, so they should have fewer issues.

The City of Tulsa has already replaced 40 sirens in the last two years. Now, the plan is to replace 20 more over the next year.

Tulsa’s sirens are tested out loud each Wednesday at noon if the weather allows it. Either way, they’re tested silently every day.