If you’ve read my previous blog post, then you know that I wrote a letter of complaint to my local newspaper about our town’s policy change regarding the tornado weather siren. Our siren is now activated for any severe thunderstorm warning, a policy which I consider hazardous since we seem to now be left without any warning of actual tornadic activity. Ironically (or not, since the sirens have gone off no fewer than eight times this June 2010), today we got another dose of the siren. As has been usual lately, we got an average thunderstorm, nothing more than some lightning, thunder, and rain. I decided to videotape my street as the sirens were going off, with the intention of adding it to my blog to illustrate my point about writing a letter to the newspaper. At the very least, the following video will help my daughter and I – we are getting really good at doing impressions of the tornado weather siren – enough to drive our puppy crazy anyway. 🙂
I’m beginning to think that the county’s warning siren is linked together. At least when ours went off, it was doing something besides freaking the kids out here. Of course, when I mentioned my suspicion, everyone thought I was goofy.
I do believe your sirens are probably all linked together. In Defiance County, we cannot set off the sirens for just one part of the county. When we push the button, it sets off the entire county’s sirens. I totally agree that these sirens should only be sounded in the event of a tornado warning, OR for incredibly severe weather that could do large amounts of damage. I do not believe it should be used for every thunderstorm that rolls through. I have heard one explanation for the siren that does make some sense to me…..
I was told that the warning siren (whether it be for thunderstorm or tornado) is mainly for people who are outside because in some areas, a siren cannot be heard if you are inside of a house. This siren is used to make people aware to go inside, and check out the weather forecast and to “prepare” for whatever the weather condition is.
I believe that more explanation is needed to be shared with the public. It’s not right that it seemingly changed overnight for you. I hope that we do not change our protocols…..
@jamiahsh – your suspicions…?
@mary911 – I heard the same thing about the siren being for people outside, and in the case of hundreds of people being outside for the Jubilee or for those who live in the country, it makes sense I guess. But there needs to be another siren for tornadoes or for dangerous thunderstorms as you mentioned. NOT for every severe thunderstorm warning we get which can easily be over 10 a season, as we’ve seen this June!
And since we live a block and a half from the fire station which has a siren mounted on top of it, that could explain why it sounds like such an emergency here. But I do know that we no longer go into our dirty basement, so let’s pray that we never need to since we won’t be down there taking cover.
If we were ever to try to sell our house – note to self – do not show it to prospective buyers during a thunderstorm!!
I like Mare’s response to my suspicions. Worth looking into… why else would it be doing NOTHING weather-wise and ten miles away it is storming good. But we are in the same boat, our siren is two blocks away… site of the ruins of the village hall. Which is going to be only half demolished for the time being until the total damage to the connecting fire hall can be assessed.