Hancock County Updates Storm Sirens for Faster, Targeted Alerts

A large gray speaker or siren mounted on a pole, with a red cross symbol visible on the front. — Source: Hancock County Homeland Security / Hancock County Homeland Security

HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — Severe weather alerts in Hancock County are getting an upgrade. Local emergency officials announced a new software integration for the county’s outdoor warning sirens designed to decrease activation times and prevent unnecessary alerts.

Previously, emergency personnel had to manually activate the county’s siren system when severe weather struck. The new software links the sirens directly to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Indianapolis, automating the process.

“The updated integration with the National Weather Service reduces delays by allowing sirens within our area to be activated simultaneously with the tornado warning for our county,” said Mark Elder, Hancock County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director.

In addition to faster trigger times, the software introduces a targeted, zone-based approach to alerts. The system splits Hancock County into two distinct geographic zones divided by Interstate 70:

Northern Zone: Includes all emergency sirens north of I-70.
Southern Zone: Includes all emergency sirens south of I-70.

This division solves a long-standing issue where clear, sunny areas of the county were subjected to blaring sirens because a storm was clipping a different region.

“Previous storms have raised questions like, ‘Why did the sirens go off? It’s sunny where I am,'” Elder said. “This system will help reduce events where sirens go off in a far southern part of the county when severe weather is affecting just the very northern part.”

Because sirens are now grouped by location rather than an “all-or-nothing” county-wide trigger, residents may notice a change in how often they hear them. Depending on local storm tracks, some neighborhoods might hear sirens more frequently than in the past, while others may hear them less. If a weather event threatens the entire county, all sirens will still be activated.

EMA officials emphasize that outdoor sirens are strictly designed to warn people who are outside. To stay safe indoors, officials recommend a multi-layered approach to weather alerts, including: