Tornado emergency warnings were set off by hackers in two towns in North Texas , forcing local officials to shut off warning signs just a day before major storms were set to strike the area . Over 30 tornadoes woke up locals in the Dallas County cities of DeSoto and Lancaster , as well as nearby towns , in the middle of the night on 12 may , 2019 . officials confirmed the alarms had been switched off with " hostile intent " by an external party , or parties , and had switched them offline . Storms struck the towns , but the area was not affected by tornadoes .
Tornado emergency sirens were set off by hackers in two towns in North Texas, forcing local officials to shut off warning systems just a day before major storms were set to strike the area. Over 30 sirens woke up locals in the Dallas County cities of DeSoto and Lancaster, as well as nearby suburbs, in the middle of the night on 12 March, 2019. Officials confirmed the alarms had been set off with "hostile intent" by an external party, or parties, and had taken them offline. Storms struck the towns, but the area was not affected by tornadoes.