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.
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.
The city emphasized there is no tornado warning and no current tornado threat, though parts of the area remain under a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning.
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."
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