Illinois Town’s Sirens Tested for First Time Since Deadly Twister

Children in the central Illinois community of Washington are hearing tornado sirens for the first time since twisters crossed the state in November, killing seven people and destroying hundreds of homes.

School Superintendent John Tignor says there were no reports of children getting upset when sirens sounded at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The district alerted parents about the drill and teachers have been talking to students about the sirens for several weeks.

Tignor says the school often sends students to a secure location during a drill, where they lay on the floor. But administrators decided that might be too traumatic for the students, who instead remained in class.

The tornado that hit Washington had winds that reached up to 190 mph. It was on the ground for more than 46 miles.