Charles County is prone to severe weather, such as hurricanes, extreme heat, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. The Department of Emergency Services and the Town of La Plata would like to inform residents that the tornado sirens will now activate if there is a tornado warning issued for Charles County by the National Weather Service or if a tornado is spotted by first responder personnel.
There is a three-minute cycling of the siren, in addition to a voice announcement at the end of the cycle.
The siren warning system will not activate to indicate an “all clear” once the threat has passed.
Tornado sirens are intended to warn residents of an imminent tornado threat. The sirens are not intended nor guaranteed to warn residents whom are indoors. Residents indoors should rely on weather radios, television and radio messages, or phone notification systems for updates on weather threats and other warning types. Sirens are activated by the Charles County Emergency Services department.
Residents are urged to register/review their profiles for the latest Citizen Notification Service (CNS) updates and alerts from Charles County Government and the National Weather Service. To register for CNS, manage your message settings, provide preferred contact information, and select categories, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/CNS.
When you hear the siren going off, please do not delay in seeking shelter. Get indoors to an interior small room or basement, and get low. For tornado preparedness tips, visit the National Weather Service’s website at www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html.
The sirens are installed at the following locations:
- On Charles Street in front of the Charles County Courthouse
- On Curley Hall Road at the Town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (near Quailwood Subdivision)
- In Clarks Run Subdivision
- In King’s Grant Subdivision
- On Shining Willow Way next to the La Plata Volunteer Fire Department
- College of Southern Maryland
Severe weather notices are posted online at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov, on CCGTV cable television (Verizon channel 10 and Comcast channel 95), on Facebook, and on Twitter. Sign up for the CNS at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/CNS to receive inclement weather, tornado watch, and tornado warning notifications by email or text message.
For updated information on power outages, view the SMECO outage map at stormcenter.smeco.coop. Call (877) 747-6326 to report a power outage. Call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.
