Joplin, MO - Study Leads to Storm Siren Changes

[500AT]

JOPLIN, Mo. ? The way people are warned about severe weather in Joplin is about to change.

http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=608272

[Charlie Davidson]

Their website fails to load at all for me.

[ThunderStorm1000T]

I was able to find the information that is in the article shared here in other places, via a search on Bing, and an article on the Joplin Globe's website.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x14359 ... ren-policy

[Oldiesmann]

So they're now "only" testing them twice a month for one minute, and only when there isn't severe weather in the area. What was their previous testing policy?

It sounds like they really need to work on their policy for siren activation:

Outdoor warning sirens are activated when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Jasper County, Newton County and/or Cherokee County, Kansas with a storm path including the City of Joplin or when receiving a report from a trained spotter of a funnel or tornado sighted in or approaching Joplin.

Outdoor warning sirens will also be activated when the National Weather Service reports a storm system approaching Joplin producing sustained winds of 75 mph or greater.

No wonder people ignored them.

[r4tbolts]

A problem as I seen over the last couple of years or so and it really puts the Emergency Managers in a bind. It is the issuing of Tornado Warnings by NWS with 45 minutes or more lead time for adjacent counties based on rotation in a location 30 to 40 miles away from the Tornado warned county. I can count at least a half dozens times in the past two years EAS and the sirens go crazy for a storm 40 miles away and then have nothing, absolutely nothing happen in my community but thunder, rain and a few twigs fall to the ground. This is what makes people complacent.Most OEM's have the SOP of triggering the sirens when NWS issues the warning. They are not in a situation to second guess what comes from NWS so they should get a pass.

People are not going to run and sit in the basement for an hour waiting for the storm to hit. Sirens and warnings are for an impending event and not for an event that might happen. BTW, I have no problem with sirens for winds + 75 etc. If the sirens are going to sound for "rotation" in the clouds then is is pretty practical to be sounding them when the wind is going to blow 75+.

As for testing, most people of any given community know when the sirens are tested. That said, more than twice a month is overkill IMO. but I highly doubt it is testing confusion. It is crying wolf that makes people complacent !

In my little nook of Michigan until 5 or so years ago sirens and tornado warnings were a once in every 3 or 4 year thing. In the past five years it seems it is like a once a month deal from April to September. Perhaps it's overkill with the warnings coming from NWS that puts the EM Director in the hot seat.

[bradhig]

They sound the sirens in St. Louis County for tornado warnings in another county's if the storm is heading towards us. Back in the 1990's a tornado hit St Charles Rock Rd and caused some damage there including knocking down a Tbolt siren. People after that complained they didn't sound the sirens until after the storm hit and that's when they changed the procedure.

[Model2]

So they're now "only" testing them twice a month for one minute, and only when there isn't severe weather in the area. What was their previous testing policy?

It sounds like they really need to work on their policy for siren activation:

Outdoor warning sirens are activated when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Jasper County, Newton County and/or Cherokee County, Kansas with a storm path including the City of Joplin or when receiving a report from a trained spotter of a funnel or tornado sighted in or approaching Joplin.

Outdoor warning sirens will also be activated when the National Weather Service reports a storm system approaching Joplin producing sustained winds of 75 mph or greater.

No wonder people ignored them.

Joplin is practically in all three of those counties. It's city limits are in Jasper and Newton Counties, and Cherokee County is 2 miles west.

[kswx29]

It sounds like they really need to work on their policy for siren activation:

No wonder people ignored them.[/quote]
I think their policy is just fine. Joplin is located in both Jasper and Newton counties and Cherokee County, Kansas is only a few minutes (literally) from Joplin. And it states that the sirens sound ONLY if Joplin is in the path, so if a storm is in Cherokee County and moving NE it's obviously going to impact Joplin. I think they need to change their policy for sounding it multiple times, or make it where attack signal means a tornado is on the ground and doing damage or something.

[MARSAUTOSIREN]

They sound the sirens in St. Louis County for tornado warnings in another county's if the storm is heading towards us. Back in the 1990's a tornado hit St Charles Rock Rd and caused some damage there including knocking down a Tbolt siren. People after that complained they didn't sound the sirens until after the storm hit and that's when they changed the procedure.

In all the county's up to Warren I think, they sound a 3 minute alert tone, whatever the situation is. I have found that the time between NOAA radio issuing a warning and the sirens sounding in about 5 seconds(this is with the whelens, the older sirens might be different)

[FedTB]

Bradhig, where was the T-Bolt located at along St. Charles Rock Road that you're referring to that was knocked down by a tornado in the early 1990s? I know that in the April 1998 F1 tornado up along Page Avenue that there was a T-Bolt knocked down. It was located along Page Avenue just west of Lindbergh Blvd. It was one of the old St. Louis County Civil Defense single tone T-Bolts.