<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eHDm93tI4Ok&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eHDm93tI4Ok&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> These sirens have always creeped me out. They never fail to give me goosebumps.
I remember being at my Aunt's house in Wichita Falls not long after the big tornado there in 1979. A storm came through and the sirens went off and I thought it was pretty cool (I was about 10 at the time). My three cousins all within two years of my age totally broke down in hysterical crying. We went to the bathtub but nothing happened. When the tornado came through in '79 they had lost their roof to the storm and the house right next door was completely demolished. They obviously had more respect for tornadoes than I did at that age.
I hope those sirens never come to Houston, or this is what I would have on my mind as they go off, <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nIw6i5UXN6E&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nIw6i5UXN6E&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Haven't ever heard one since moving to Houston 23 years ago. Growing up in Indy, it would scare the daylights out of me when a siren would blast.
There used to be air raid sirens at Ellington Air force base down in Clear Lake -- I think they would set them off during severe weather.
They do sound scary, although since I've recently been playing an NCAA 2009 dynasty as U of Houston, this siren reminds me of touchdowns I score!
We have them where I live due to Warner Robins Air Force Base, and one in the Macon, GA where I work. Back on election day we voted to invest in a county wide system.
They stop sounding scary when you hear them every saturday at noon when they test them. I've been at home at least 10 times when they have gone off during a storm and still never seen a tornado.
They don't have them in Houston, but they had them in Lubbock when I was in college. One of the funniest things I ever heard on the radio was when I was listening to some DJ up there. The siren goes off, and he stops whatever he was saying mid-sentence and goes "and that's the siren and I'm out of here." followed by the sounds of footsteps, a door closing and silence. It was awesome.
Growing up in West U they had them (being its own, separate city, West U has its own police force and fire dept.). I bet they still have them now.
I heard these at Wrigley Field at an Astros/Cubs Game. There were tornados touching down outside and they kept us in the stadium concourse for a three hour rain delay as the field was drenched in sideways rain. the sirens were unbearable, all around the neighborhood, an old man said this was the first time in 50 years of coming to baseball games something like that had happened.
WOW....that gave me goosebumps. Instantly reminded me the days of the BOMBING RAIDS in Saudi Arabia. Gulf War, when Sadam was scudding the hell out of us.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ddj1cHKtcE0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ddj1cHKtcE0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> The noon whistle needs to make a comeback - the morlocks are hungry!
Go over to Texas City near Galveston. They have them around town because if the BP plant or other refineries go you will know.. I had the unfortunate experience of riding shotgun with the top down and BAM.. OMG was that SOB loud.
I grew up in Deer Park and they have sirens there due to the close proximity of all of the chemical plants. They are placed all around the town and have huge loudspeakers hooked up to them so they can relay messages. They did a test every month, but there were several times I can remember that they went off for real. They'd come on the speaker and tell everyone it's not a drill, stay in your house, and turn off your a/c.
