Tornado siren fluke startles residents - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

Tornado siren fluke startles residents

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MEMPHIS, TN -

(WMC-TV) - Sleet in the Mid-South last night was accompanied by tornado sirens, sounding the alarm for residents when no warning or watch was actually in effect.

"I heard the sirens going off and I was like, 'What in the world is that?'" said Jimmy Huffman.

Huffman was not the only person who heard tornado sirens. The phones in the Action News 5 were ringing off the hook. People wanted to know why the alarms were sounding.

"For some people who didn't know any better, it would throw them for a loop," said Huffman.

For some people, it was extremely confusing. In fact, other area Emergency Service Agencies were also flooded with calls wondering why the sirens were sounding.

Those EMA directors did not have an answer... until now.

The sirens went off as a result of a malfunction within the Memphis EMA office. There was no threat.

Coincidentally, this week happens to be Severe Weather Awareness week in Tennessee.

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