(COVINGTON, KY) - The Emergency Management departments of Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky announced a change in the outdoor warning siren systems today.  Under this new policy the sirens will sound when a TORNADO WARNING is issued by the National Weather Serviceor a funnel cloud or tornado has been sighted by a local public safety official.  When a warning is issued the outdoor sirens will sound for five minutes.  This change will go into effect immediately.

Previously, the sirens would also sound when a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued during a Tornado Watch.

William Turner, Emergency Management Director for Campbell County, credits advanced technology at the National Weather Service which gives people more time to take cover when a warning is issued for the change in policy.

Turner says the outdoor sirens were sounding too often under the old policy since the number of storm watch alerts has increase during the

BOONE COUNTY, KY (FOX19) – The heat index at Cnicinnati -Northern Kentucky Internaitonal Airport reached nearly 100 degrees Monday afternoon, but readings at other local airports are 5 or 6 degrees higher than that, with Middletown's Hook Field reaching 115.7 degrees.

The temperatures are not particularly close to record territory, but the humidity is, with dewpoints around the region ranging from the mid-70’s to 80 degrees.

FOX19 Meteorologist Steve Horstmeyer says there are two reasons the humidity is so high: all the recent rain has left loads of water in the soil, event after a couple days with little or no rain, and the winds coming from the southwest have brought in lots of moisture of their own, picked up when crossing over Arkansas and neighboring states. 

There is not  a record available for hottest heat index ever, but Horstmeyer says if there were one, it couldn’t be more than a couple degrees beyond what some areas are experiencing now.&nbs

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 7, 2011) – Governor Steve Beshear today announced Kentucky will receive a $4,276,514 National Emergency Grant (NEG) from the U.S. Department of Labor that will create about 317 temporary jobs for eligible dislocated workers to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that struck Kentucky in April 2011.

“This money will help Kentucky communities rebuild after suffering extensive damage this spring,” said Gov. Beshear.