This is only a test: Linn County sirens to sound Wednesday

CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn County officials say you can disregard outdoor warning sirens sounding throughout the day Wednesday in the county — it’s just testing and not an emergency.

Engineers and the county’s emergency managers will be running tests from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Please disregard any audible alerts or messages heard during this period,” emergency mangers advised in a news release.

Linn County operates about 150 of the outdoor sirens. Events that can trigger a siren to sound are confirmed winds of 70 mph or greater; hail 3/4 inch in diameter or larger; a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service; or the release of a chemical.

The sirens routinely are tested starting at 8:45 a.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. However, earlier this month, the sirens malfunctioned and sounded in some areas of the county in error.