Sedgwick County postpones ‘attack mode’ siren test amid threat of more severe weather

Sedgwick County will not test the “attack” mode function of its tornado siren system on Monday amid a threat of more severe weather.

The county’s Emergency Management division had planned to test the attack function, used to warn against air raids and other enemy attacks, for the first time since 2015.

“We are not testing sirens period tomorrow,” county spokesperson Nicole Gibbs said Sunday.

If the county’s 152 sirens sound Monday, it will indicate a real tornado warning.

The EF-3 tornado that ravaged Andover and the surrounding area Friday originated in southeastern Sedgwick County, where another strong storm system was sustained.

Wichita and surrounding cities in southern Kansas could be in the path of another strong storm system Monday afternoon, National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Darmofal said Saturday.

Wichita has the four oldest Thunderbolt sirens in the U.S., installed in 1952 after then-President Harry Truman signed the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950.

“Their original intent was for enemy attack and air raids. But for lack of enemy attacks and air raids, they were repurposed for tornado warnings,” Deputy Director of Emergency Management Jonathan Marr said last week.

This story was originally published May 1, 2022 at 4:27 PM.