Ottumwa's outdoor sirens are intended to warn people outdoors of confirmed hazardous weather conditions. When a siren is sounded, people should take shelter immediately and seek more information through the local media, NOAA Weather Radio and/or the National Weather Service. With more information, they can decide what further protective measures to take.
Activation of Ottumwa’s Outdoor Warning Sirens requires:
When the sirens stop, it does not indicate the threat of a hazardous weather has passed. Ottumwa's Outdoor Warning Sirens are a "take cover" signal. They do not sound an "all clear" signal.
Ottumwa's Outdoor Warning Sirens are tested on the first Monday of each month, at 12:00 noon. The tests are canceled if there is any severe weather in Iowa at the time to avoid possible confusion with an actual weather emergency.
Ottumwa residents can sign up for Alert Iowa, an electronic emergency or severe weather alert system that will send an alert message to your phone number and/or email address provided by voice, text, and/or email. This is a free service provided by Wapello County Emergency Management and Alert Iowa.
Report power outages and downed power lines to Alliant Energy by phone at (800) ALLIANT or contact the Alliant Energy Storm and Outage Center online.
In a power outage, Alliant Energy will always target outages at law enforcement and emergency facilities, such as hospitals first. Then, Alliant Energy starts at the generating stations and works down the line, repairing the lines that will restore power to the largest number of people. Once the major lines are restored, Alliant Energy crews will focus on neighborhoods and individual service lines that go to a single home or business. In rare occasions, when the damage is very bad, it may be necessary for a property owner to contact a licensed electrician to repair the electrical service to the house.
