RILEY COUNTY (KSNT) – Riley County is receiving noise complaints, but these ones can be heard for miles.

On Saturday evening, sirens were wailing across the county warning people of severe weather. The sirens aren’t intended for people inside. Instead, they’re used to warn people outside to seek shelter.

Last night’s warning caused confusion on social media. In a statement posted to Facebook, Riley County Emergency Management stated:

“We apologize for causing confusion. The sirens were sounded to keep people safe and let folks outdoors know they needed to take shelter because of the dangerous winds and hail. Extra people are in town because of game day and we wanted to make sure they were aware of the danger.”

Brandon Drake of the National Weather Service says high winds aren’t to be taken lightly. “In a situation like that we want people to have the same behavior that they would for a tornado,” Drake said. “It really does carry the same level of threat that a tornado would.”

To receive severe weather notifications in Riley County, click here.