HOUSTON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Kay Davis works a full-time job on the square in Houston.
Her office is across the street from the Houston Fire Department and just a matter of yards from a new emergency warning siren.
"We listen for it here on the square where I work just to keep us informed when the weather is bad because we don't have access to a TV at the time for the weather updates," Davis said.
City officials in Houston and Okolona have each purchased a siren by offering to pay the $18,000 price tag.
Each paid the full amount and were reimbursed 75 percent with Hazardous Mitigation Grant money.
"April 2011 when we had two tornadoes in one day, the siren had to run for 12-14 hours, which caused it to malfunction, so it needed to be replaced because of its location more than anything else," Chickasaw County Emergency Management Agency Director Linda Griffin said.
"The siren is two to three times louder than the old one, so obviously, now it will reach out a lot better," Houston Fire Department Shift Officer Michael Slaughter said.
"It benefits those working in Houston and Okolona and also the residential area, and it's a big benefit to our school system, which is located near each of the sirens, as well as daycares," Griffin added.
