Outdoor Warning Sirens

Hazards & Threats

The purpose of an Outdoor Warning System is to warn residents of All Hazard threats that occur outside. If you hear the outdoor warning system activate, immediately move inside a sturdy structure and seek more information through social media, television or radio. 

The City has 10 siren locations strategically placed to alert people who may be in public outdoor areas to take shelter indoors. The Outdoor Warning System in The Colony is tested at noon on the first Wednesday of the month. If inclement weather is possible the test may be postponed until the next month. The ten siren locations are:

  • Austin Ranch
  • The Colony Police Department (TCPD) Headquarters
  • Eastvale
  • Etheridge Elementary
  • Firehouse No. 4 (in Grandscape)
  • Hidden Cove Park
  • The Legends
  • Office Creek
  • The Tribute
  • Turner Street Park

Outdoor Warning Sirens Criteria for Activation

To alert the public of a severe weather threat. Threats generally include tornado and severe weather warnings, hail over 1.25 inches and straight-line winds 70 mph or higher. The primary function of the sirens is to notify people outside of an imminent weather threat. The criterion for utilization depends on the storm track. Depending on your proximity to a siren location, it may be heard indoors; however, the system is not intended for that specific purpose.

Outdoor Notification

Fire Chief Scott Thompson said it is important to note that outdoor warning sirens are not intended to warn people who are indoors. “Outdoor sirens are not a reliable means of notifying people who are in their homes and they should not be considered as a means of early indoor notification,” he said. For more information, please see our Outdoor Warning Siren FAQs.

In 2021, The Colony was recertified as Storm Ready by the National Weather Service. To achieve this designation, all of our alert processes and notifications are tested and verified as effective for their intended purpose.

Backup Methods

The Colony Emergency Management Division recommends the purchase of a weather radio with battery back-up for the best notification of severe weather. Other options include phone or computer applications for early notification and then, if the power is not interrupted, monitoring television, radio, or websites for updates. 

Please visit our Citizen Action Center to submit questions, requests, and receive informational emails.