Georgetown/Scott County EMA
Office of Homeland Security
2200 Cincinnati Pk.
Georgetown, KY. 40324
502-863-7848
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology to name a weather system with a low-pressure area in the center around which, from an observer looking down toward the surface of the Earth, winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 mph, are about 250 feet across, and travel several a few miles before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph, are more than 2 miles in diameter, and stay on the ground for more than 12 miles.
What does it mean when I hear the outdoor warning sirens
in Scott County?
It means a Tornado Warning has been issued for parts or
all of the County.
Why can’t I hear the outdoor warning sirens in my house?
Sirens are an outdoor warning system designed only to alert
those who are outside that something dangerous is approaching.