Hamilton County's outdoor warning sirens sounded at noon Wednesday, Aug. 5, as part of a scheduled test. But if you were inside your home in Montgomery, Blue Ash or Sycamore Township and didn't hear them, that's exactly the point the county's emergency management agency wants to drive home.
The sirens exist for outdoor warning only and are not guaranteed to be heard indoors, Hamilton County EMA said on X the day of the test. The agency directed residents to sign up for Alert HC, the county's mass notification system, at AlertHC.org as the most reliable way to receive tornado warnings and other critical emergency alerts.
More than 40 alert categories
Alert HC sends tornado warnings, severe weather alerts issued by the National Weather Service, air quality notices, evacuation or shelter-in-place orders and other emergency information directly to users via text message, email or phone call. Residents who register at AlertHC.org can select from more than 40 categories and choose how they want to be notified.
The system is paired with Smart911, which lets users create a profile sharing important household information with first responders during an emergency. All three communities fall within Hamilton County EMA's jurisdiction and are covered by both the siren network and AlertHC.
Recent flooding adds urgency
The reminder comes weeks after flash flooding swept through Greater Cincinnati in July, damaging 118 properties that met FEMA's preliminary damage criteria, according to WLWT. Eighty-nine residences and 29 businesses were affected, and the county said it likely will not qualify for federal disaster assistance.
How to sign up
Residents can register for Alert HC at AlertHC.org. Users select the alert types they want and pick their preferred delivery method: text, email or phone call.
