WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - Most Kansans were interrupted Tuesday morning by the blaring sounds of tornado sirens for a full 5 minutes, leaving many confused.

"The intent was for everyone to take that moment and act as if it was a real tornado. Where would you go? Where's the lowest level that you can get to safely, away from windows," said Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Julie Stimson.

Stimson tried hard to communicate to residents there would be a tornado drill, but not everyone got the word, and with everything going on overseas, some people assumed the worst.

Bo Montana said on Facebook, "The president is getting ready to speak and air raid sirens are going off here in Kansas. Duck and cover."

While this wasn't the case Tuesday, Stimson said many of the tornado sirens around Wichita were originally installed to warn residents of air attacks.

"Some of the equipment that we have standing, to this day, that are still operational, are 70 years old from back when we were civil preparedness. And we were preparing for attacks where we would have to go underground into bunkers," said Stimson.

The sirens still have the capability of warning us of an impending attack, but Stimson said it would sound completely different, like this.

"The severe weather awareness, and for the tornado side of it, it is a steady tone. But for an air raid, it would be kind of a wavering rise and fall tone, Very distinct difference," said Stimson.

Stimson said over time, as the nuclear threats decreased, crews adapted them to provide tornado warnings. And while it could change, that's still the biggest threat in Kansas, and is hopefully the only sound we'll have to hear coming from the sirens.

Now that the statewide drill is over, you can expect just the regular, short tests every Monday at noon. Stimson said the biggest hope with the drills is to make sure people properly prepare for severe weather season. For a list of supplies to have ready just in case, click here.