OKC Emergency Management Team Plans For Severe Weather

Tuesday Oklahoma saw its first tornado and severe weather is drawing closer to our area. 

The Oklahoma City Emergency Management Team has put a response plan into place. Oklahoma City has 182 outdoor tornado warning sirens. 

They sound after the National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning. Three years ago, the city divided up its sirens into 9 sectors allowing for a more pinpointed warning without all the sirens having to sound.

If you hear a siren during severe weather, experts say you should shelter in place. If you're driving or away from shelter, there are still options.Get out of your car and get into a ditch somewhere down low or a drainage culvert or something like that you can take shelter in.

"Temporarily keep in mind, with severe thunderstorms you get heavy rain and then you have to be ready for potential flash flooding," said Frank Barnes, Oklahoma City Emergency Manager.