Since last week’s tornado in the northern part of the county… There has been a lot of discussion about the fact that there are no tornado sirens in the City of Mansfield.
Here is my question…. Are they needed, and Is it worth the cost in 2024?
- Sirens are not designed to be heard inside your home. We were 1/2 mile from the nearest sirens when I lived in Indianapolis. On a clear day, when they ran the monthly test, we could hear them outside. In the middle of a thunderstorm, it depends on the wind and the amount of rain falling.
- All smartphones and US cell carriers are now part of the WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) system. It will (if turned on) automatically alert your phone if you are inside a warned area – for both a tornado & flash flood.
- All smartphones and US cell carriers are now part of the WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) system. It will (if turned on) automatically alert your phone if you are inside a warned area – for both a tornado & flash flood.
- Dozens of weather apps are available and can send you push alerts for weather warnings.
- Local radio and TV still broadcast alerts, and the Cleveland TV stations almost always provide wall-to-wall coverage with tornado warning weather.
- NOAA weather radios with battery backups are still available and affordable.
Warnings from the NWS are no longer issued for the entire county. They are polygons based on where the storm is tracking. Would the sirens activate everywhere or just inside a warned area? (Yes, I totally understand that the EAS/TV/Weather Radios still use more broad county-wide warning areas.)
Based on last week’s tornado in Northern Richland County, would folks in Mansfield and south be needlessly panicked for the sirens sounding for a storm that was well to the north?
I think it’s a good discussion for city officials, I just wonder if it is worth the cost for the true value it could have in saving lives. We could provide weather radios to anyone who desires them.