San Marcos restored 14 outdoor sirens to alert residents of weather dangers, with distinct signals for different emergencies.
SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Fourth of July flooding in Central Texas has highlighted the vital role of outdoor warning sirens in alerting residents to life-threatening emergencies.
The city of San Marcos maintains a network of 14 outdoor warning sirens, strategically positioned to notify the community about potential weather dangers. The system was first installed in 2011 following multiple floods in the region.
Over time, the sirens needed repairs and eventually stopped working. After months of maintenance and upgrades, the city completed a full restoration of the system in January.
All 14 sirens are fully operational and feature new technology that issue distinct signals for various emergencies, allowing residents to discern the nature of a threat and take appropriate action. For example, separate sound patterns distinguish between tornadoes, wildfires and public safety threats.
The need for reliable outdoor alerts is especially critical along the San Marcos River, where many people might immediate access to weather information on their phones while enjoying time outdoors.
There are now discussions to build more towers in the future as the city grows.
“An additional 17 towers would have to be put in place to give us full coverage,” said Rob Fitch, the city’s director of emergency management.
“So we’re in talks about financing and looking at a plan.”
Several officials and experts, including Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and emergency management experts, believe sirens could have saved lives in the July 4 floods in Central Texas.
The Texas Legislature is set to address flood-related measures focused on enhancing the state’s emergency warning systems during a special session beginning Monday.