SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – With severe storms on the radar, some communities are utilizing emergency sirens to indicate strong winds in the area.

In Springfield, sirens are sounded when winds reach over 75 mph, even if no tornado has been spotted, to alert residents of strong winds and possible damage.

Damage can occur from strong winds even without a tornado present.

Sounding the sirens is at the discretion of each community operator, and different communities have different criteria for sounding them.

If you do hear sirens, the best course of action is to find a safe place to take cover.