SARDINIA, Ohio -- Wednesday's tornado in Sardinia caught a lot of people off guard.
The storm came so suddenly that it even surprised Brown County's Emergency Management Agency. But that didn't stop them from sounding the sirens once they got word from the National Weather Service.
But some Sardinia residents said they didn't hear the siren before the tornado hit.
Beth Nevel with the Brown County Public Safety Services said the all-hazard warning sirens are designed to only be heard outside within a 1-mile radius.
Instead, officials expect that anyone inside at the time of a storm will be alerted by their phones. Smartphones now come with built-in emergency alert functions.
When an emergency alert goes out -- via siren or smartphone alert -- Nevel said officials recommend taking three steps: take cover, tune into local media and take any action necessary, such as seeking shelter or evacuating.
