Detroit will test new outdoor warning siren system on Saturday

For some of you, it's probably a commonality to hear a warning siren test once per month. It's a bit of a necessity whenever severe weather capable of producing a tornado approaches a community.

In Detroit, that hasn't entirely been the case — until now. On Saturday, at 1 p.m., the city expects to test 40 new sirens installed in concert with the Detroit Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. 

City officials say sirens were installed in the city over 35 years, but everything from vandalism to copper line theft to the demolition of buildings where sirens were located has dwindled the number of functioning alarms. For years, Detroit operated with less than 20, but, by next month, 54 new sirens that provide coverage across the entire city are expected to come online, according to a press release issued Friday. 

The city says the sirens, which are solar powered and mounted atop 30-foot concrete poles, will be tested every first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.