Weather

Weather Sirens

Beginning June of 2024, Siren Testing will be performed at 10:00 A.M. on the First Wednesday of each month. The National Weather Service recommends monthly testing of outdoor warning sirens. This monthly testing of the sirens will assist in ensuring the entire system is functioning appropriately. The monthly testing will also assist us in finding mechanical/electrical issues with the sirens so that they may be repaired prior to an actual severe weather alert. 

The Mississippi Gulf Coast does not have a significant history of tornadoes, like other areas of the country, but over the past few years we have had an increase in tornadic events. The City of D’Iberville would like everyone to be aware of the sirens, what they sound like, and what to do in the event of an emergency activation.

The City of D’Iberville has seven (7) outdoor weather sirens located strategically throughout the city for the greatest notification coverage. Our sirens can also reach into some of the bordering areas of the City of Biloxi, St. Martin, and unincorporated areas of Harrison County. We have three ways that the outdoor weather sirens can be activated. We have a cloud-based software which is connected with the National Weather Services (NWS) warning system. When the NWS puts out a tornado warning for a particular area (The polygon you see on radar), the system will automatically activate any of our sirens that fall inside the warning area. Only the sirens that are inside the warning area will activate during this time to keep down on unnecessary public concern. Secondly, we have an app, which certain city personnel have access to on cellular devices, which we can remotely activate the sirens if we were to have visual confirmation before a warning was issued by the NWS. Our third way is manual activation from the control console at Fire Station #1

City Personnel; Fire, Police, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation personnel will stage at all 7 siren locations to verify the rotation and audible output of each siren. Sirens will be activated via computer, app, or manually from Fire Station #1 on Lamey Bridge Road. Sirens will activate an audible sound and continuously rotate for up to 3 minutes. Personnel who are monitoring each siren will report back as to the functionality of the siren. If a siren does not perform correctly, maintenance personnel will troubleshoot the issues and make necessary repairs to the siren(s).

Testing will only be performed under clear or mostly clear skies, without the threat of rain or severe weather. If the sky is overcast, rain or severe weather is forecasted, the test will be performed on the next clear day. Notices of rescheduling will be released on the City’s Social Media accounts.