UPDATE | Tuesday, noon — "Human error" and "an improper understanding of protocol" caused an unwarranted tornado siren to erupt around Denver on Monday amid severe storms, the city says. Our updated story is here.
...
DENVER — If tornado sirens startled you in Denver on Monday, you weren’t imagining it. The city says the Outdoor Warning Siren System was accidentally activated despite no immediate weather threat.
When not being tested, the siren's activation typically requires immediate action due to a confirmed tornado or another emergency. But that wasn’t the case on Monday.
Twelve counties were under a tornado watch, and not long after those alerts came down, Denver's outdoor warning siren system was accidentally activated.
A spokesperson for the city told Denver7 that city officials are looking into the situation to determine if it was a computer error or human error.
The Outdoor Warning Siren System consists of 86 sirens: 75 in Denver and 11 at Denver International Airport, according to the city’s website.
It’s unclear if all 86 sirens blared during the erroneous alert.
Jamie Preston was at home in Capitol Hill when the sirens went off.
“I was inside just doing chores, and then suddenly I heard this noise, and I was like, 'what is that?' Because I've never heard a tornado siren before,” Preston said. “It was a lot louder than I expected it to be, like extremely loud.”
Mica Muro heard the sirens in City Park but said she had some context heading into the afternoon.
"I have read earlier about the tornado watch, so I knew that was a possibility, but also I know that a watch is different than a tornado alarm, so I wasn't too worried about that," she said.
Muro said the bigger concern with a false alarm is what it could mean the next time sirens sound.
"I guess the most danger is when people don't pay attention to alarms, and it's an actual alarm, and they think it's a false alarm or a test," Muro said. "I guess communication will help in the future."
Preston echoed that concern.
"I just hope it's not a repeated thing, because of the whole boy who cried wolf thing. Would people continue to take it seriously if this were to keep happening?" Preston said.
Preston said there is at least one silver lining to the ordeal.
"I'm glad they're as loud as they are. I definitely feel like it's something that I would probably hear if it was like at night in my sleep or something,” she said. “I hope that that was just a one-time thing.”
The Denver Office of Emergency Management released the following statement regarding the incident:
"The City and County of Denver is aware that the outdoor warning sirens were activated inadvertently today.
At this time, there is no tornado warning in effect for Denver. While portions of the area may be under a severe thunderstorm warning, the National Weather Service has not issued a tornado warning for Denver, nor has it issued a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) for a tornado or destructive severe weather event in the city.
There is currently no tornado threat to public safety. Residents should continue to monitor official weather information and alerts from the National Weather Service, as weather conditions can change rapidly.
We understand that unexpected siren activations can be concerning and appreciate the public's patience and understanding. The cause of the inadvertent activation is being reviewed, and appropriate steps will be taken to help prevent similar incidents in the future."
