These creepy tornado sirens were recorded in Chicago in August 2008. And they are terrifying!
On August 4-5, 2008, a major derecho tracked across the Chicago metropolitan area. Irregular and disconnected noises went off in downtown Chicago. Curiously they were natural disaster warning sirens!
It’s weird that certain sound combinations are inherently unsettling and make you feel sad or happy. And this is exactly the case with this apocalyptic siren noises.
Why are these warning sounds so creepy?
The reason they make the natural disaster sirens irregular and disconnected is to prevent sensory adaptation. In other words, this type of irregular repeating sound can’t be ignored. You will remember it! You will keep it in mind and never forget it. Yes, these tornado sirens are scary because totally out of tune with normal music, completely disharmonic!
In sweden tornado sirens sound like a massive train stoping in front of your home and farting out loud! They test it every first monday of the month, at 3 p.m. I wonder what would happen if there actually happened to be a tornado on the first monday of a month at at 3 p.m.
But it is also being used intentionally in “classical” composition as Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (by the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra). Terrifying!
What sensations do you feel when hearing at these creepy tornado sirens?
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