Outdoor Warning Sirens

How are sirens tested?

Per Minnesota policy, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Communication Division tests/activates all sirens in Hennepin County at 1:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month.

Who is responsible for siren maintenance?

The sirens and their associated equipment are purchased and maintained by each political subdivision within the County.

When are sirens used?

For severe weather warnings, outdoor warning siren activation in Hennepin County is based on the following criteria:

• Tornado Warning, and/or
• Sustained straight line winds in excess of 70 mph

New siren warning zones

Before 2013 Hennepin County's outdoor warning sirens were activated by 4 zones. Coming in 2013 Hennepin County will sound the sirens through a series of 20 zones:

Zone 1 - Minnetrista, Mound and St. Bonifacius

Zone 2 - Independence and Maple Plain

Zone 3 - Deephaven, Excelsior, Long Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park and Tonka Bay

Zone 4 - Eden Prairie

Zone 5 - Greenfield

Zone 6 - Loretto and Medina

Zone 7 - Hopkins, Minnetonka, Wayzata and Woodland

Zone 8 - Edina

Zone 9 - Bloomington

Zone 10 - Corcoran

Zone 11 - Medicine Lake and Plymouth

Zone 12 - St. Louis Park

Zone 13 - Minneapolis and St. Anthony

Zone 14 - Ft. Snelling, Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport and Richfield

Zone 15 - Rogers

Zone 16 - Maple Grove and Osseo

Zone 17 - Crystal, Golden Valley, New Hope and Robbinsdale

Zone 18 - Dayton

Zone 19 - Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park

Zone 20 - Champlin

For your safety

• Outdoor warning sirens are meant to be heard outside. The system is not designed to provide notification inside your home or business. When sirens sound, residents should always seek shelter and tune to local weather information on radio, television, or NOAA Weather Radio for more information.
• No one in Minnesota issues an “all-clear” tone from the outdoor sirens. Such signal may be confusing to residents in the event of additional warnings.
• The threat of severe weather does not stop when the sirens stop! Residents should continue to shelter and stay tuned to local weather information on radio, television or NOAA Weather Radios for the duration of the warning period.
• If the siren sounds while you are in your vehicle, seek shelter immediately. The safest place to be is in a sturdy building, on the lowest level away from windows. If there is not a building nearby and the tornado is approaching quickly get as far away from the road and cars as possible and lay in a low area covering your head with your arms. Do not go under an overpass, the bridge may collapse and/or create a wind tunnel with debris.