Question: Is it mandatory for sirens to go off during a tornado warning?

Answer: No.

Sources:

Don Martin, Tyler Police Department

National Weather Service, Shreveport, LA

CBS19 set out to verify after sirens went off in Gregg County during a tornado warning Sunday, but no sirens went off in Smith County.

"If we set them off every time a storm was on the outskirts of our county, meaning Van Zandt County or Wood County, then it would be to the point that it would go off quite a bit," said Martin.

The city of Tyler has 32 sirens, but Martin said you may not hear them if they go off.

"If you're indoors, and you have a pretty well-insulated home, and you're not close to the sirens, you may not hear the sirens at all," he said.

He said the best way to stay informed is to sign up for Code Red alerts. It's a text alert system that will notify you by phone and email when there is severe weather and emergencies in your area.