Tornado Siren Test Mistaken For Actual Tornado By New Resident, Chaos Ensues

A recently relocated California resident has caused a minor disruption in his Oklahoma neighborhood after mistaking the monthly first-Wednesday tornado siren test for an actual tornado warning, prompting him to don a bicycle helmet, fill his bathtub, and attempt to evacuate his neighbor's dog. Bryan Seismic, 33, who moved from San Diego to Norman, Oklahoma, three weeks ago for work, heard the outdoor warning sirens at noon on the first Wednesday of the month and immediately concluded that a violent tornado was bearing down on his neighborhood. "The sound was horrifying," Seismic recounted from his bathtub, where he was found forty-five minutes later by a concerned neighbor. "A giant, wailing, end-of-the-world sound. In California, we have earthquakes, and they just happen. Nobody warns you. Here, they apparently warn you, loudly, and I responded appropriately." Seismic's response included: placing a bicycle helmet on his head, moving to the interior bathroom on the lowest floor (correct procedure), filling the bathtub with water (a hurricane preparation he confused with tornado protocol), and crossing his neighbor's yard to bring their golden retriever inside. "He was carrying my dog and wearing a bike helmet," reported neighbor and Oklahoma native Charlotte Alley. "I was sitting on my porch drinking iced tea. I said, 'It's just the test.' He said, 'What test?' I said, 'The first Wednesday test. They do it every month.' He put my dog down. He did not remove the helmet for some time." Norman's outdoor warning system is tested on the first Wednesday of every month at noon, a schedule published on the city's website and known to every long-term resident. "Nobody told me," Seismic said. "My employer didn't mention it. My landlord didn't mention it. The realtor didn't mention it. Apparently, everyone here is just supposed to know that on the first Wednesday at noon, the apocalypse sirens go off and it means nothing." Seismic has set a recurring calendar reminder for the first Wednesday of each month. He has also signed up for a community storm spotter class, "because if I'm going to live here, I want to know when to actually be scared."