Will the City of Abilene get storm sirens?

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Following recent tornadoes and flooding in the Concho Valley and Hill Country, the Abilene City Council has reopened discussions about storm sirens during ongoing budget hearings.

The last time the city reviewed the idea, the estimated cost to install a siren system was around $2.2 million. At that time—and still today—no state or federal grants are available to help fund the project, meaning the full cost would fall on local taxpayers. City officials say they continue to monitor for grant opportunities and remain hopeful that recent severe weather could open new funding avenues.

In the meantime, Abilene relies on its CodeRED emergency alert system, which sends notifications directly to mobile phones. Fire Chief Cande Flores explained that while residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED alerts, the system can also send location-based notifications, meaning people in the affected area—whether registered or not—can still receive emergency warnings on their phones.