Seems like this will be good.

City emergency officials are closing gaps in Tulsa's grid of tornado sirens, replacing 51 sirens with louder, newer horns.

A 2009 Tulsa World analysis of countywide siren coverage showed 215 total sirens in Tulsa County were within hearing range of more than 95 percent of residents.

While most of the county was covered, gaps left as many as 24,800 county residents out of hearing range, as previously reported.

Jamie Ott, deputy director of the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency, said 11 sirens are being replaced this spring, and the project to replace old sirens will finish next year with a total of 51.

"We still have some gaps across the city that we are looking at, and we are looking at adding more sirens in the future," Ott said.

Tulsa County recorded four tornadoes in 2013 and 11 tornadoes since 2000, according to the National Weather Service. Oklahoma has only recorded one tornado so far in 2014, on Sunday near Velma in Stephens County.

The sirens that are being replaced are 15 to 20 years old and had less range. The new system —— with a longer reach —— fills some of the gaps, Ott said.

The new sirens are omnidirectional, meaning they raise the alarm in all directions at the same time, Ott said.

"The older ones —— the horns sit on top and rotate around 360 degrees," he said. "The newer ones are what they call a 'stack model' so the sound comes out in a complete circle."

The new models also ring out farther, working outward to 6,000 feet —— more than a mile. The old models could be heard from about 5,000 feet away, Ott said.

The new models also require less maintenance because they aren't required to spin.

"Fewer moving parts means less maintenance," Ott said.



- Read more here: Tulsa County's tornado-warning grid is closing gaps with better, louder sirens - Tulsa World: Local