Outdoor Warning System Sirens

When dangerous storms travel through the Schaumburg area, they can cause extensive damage. Because of the unpredictability and sudden appearance of tornadoes, it may not be possible to provide advance warning. If you hear the warning siren, immediately seek shelter and tune in to a local radio or television station.

Schaumburg has nine outdoor weather alert sirens strategically located throughout the village. Weather alert sirens are designed to alert people that are outdoors to seek shelter. They are not designed to alert people that are already indoors. View the interactive outdoor warning sirens map.

The Northwest Central Dispatch System (NWCDS) will activate the system in Schaumburg when there has been a confirmed sighting of a tornado tracking toward the community; a tornado warning for the community issued by the National Weather Service (NWS); or reports of storm damage due to winds of 70 mph or greater along with golf ball sized hail. Sirens will go off every 10 minutes until the warning expires. The warning sirens will only be activated for the towns identified in the warning polygon identified by the NWS. The NWCDS tests the local outdoor warning system on the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m.

To receive severe weather-related alerts when you are inside a residence, the NWS and state and local emergency management officials strongly encourage people to have either a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) All Hazards Weather Radio with battery backup or Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) installed and configured on your mobile device. FEMA also offers a free mobile app that provides fast and reliable weather alerts from the NWS. The app is available for download on your mobile device at the App Store or Google Play.

For complete information, visit the Ready Illinois website.