Severe Weather in Texas

Tornadoes can occur at any time of year, including winter, but are most frequent from mid-March through May. Highland Village has an Outdoor Warning System in place to notify citizens in the event of severe weather. These sirens are located throughout the City and neighboring cities and are tested the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm. These sirens are designed to notify people outdoors that severe weather is coming and to take cover. The sirens will sound for 3 minutes followed by a period of silence and then repeat if necessary. The criteria for setting off the sirens are; a tornado warning affecting the City of Highland Village, a visually confirmed tornado by trained spotters, and/or severe thunderstorms with destructive winds in excess of 70 mph or hail greater than 1.25" in diameter. You should monitor your local media sources during these times for information regarding weather situations. You can follow the Highland Village Fire Department Facebook page for a reminder of the monthly testing and/or notification when the test has been cancelled due to inclement weather. You may also sign up for routine and emergency alerts through the City's "hyper-reach" program. Visit HighlandVillage.org and select "Stay Notified" from the carousel menu.

Prepare your family members for the possibility of severe weather and make sure they know where to seek shelter in the event of an approaching storm. Practice your emergency plan for every type of severe weather. Show family members where the emergency supplies are stored, and make sure they know how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity in your home.

Take the surprise factor out of severe weather and prepare yourself, your family, and your home.