Niles, MI - Berrien County silent sirens

[500AT]

NILES, Mich. -- Tornado sirens were not sounded in Berrien County as the first in a series of twisters was bearing down on the Baroda area Saturday night.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/95811224.html

[erik92da]

Just happened to see that story today. I was born in Berrien county and currently live 2 counties east, in Kalamazoo county. The sirens sounded in Kzoo within a minute or two of the warning being issued. The Kzoo/Portage system, while mostly 2001s, is very effective.

Berrien county has tons of Whelens like the one pictured in the link. Most of these are within range of Cook nuclear plant. Then there is the Palisades plant just to the north, in Van Buren county. Their system, at least the part of it in northern Berrien, are 2001s spaced out well. For them to not have sounded blows my mind, as does the explanation. Sure, lets wait til they confirm a tornado at 11:30 pm.

I also noticed that the Palisades monthly test is now just a growl of the 2001s, they usually make less than one rotation.

[EL1998P71]

That's the most asinine thing I have heard so far this year.
What if you were outside and not near a weather radio, but in earshot of a siren, how would you know?

Bunch of dumbass's.

They should adopt the policy of 70+ MPH winds for turning sirens on.
So they are covered regardless.

[erik92da]

If there was a radiation leak from the plant, I wonder if they would wait til small animals, birds, etc, begin to show effects of radiation poisoning before activating the sirens???

[EL1998P71]

I assume just like the Fermi Plant, the Nuke plant sirens are not used for weather. Which explains why in Estral Beach, there are two 2001's right next to each other. (All Fermi sirens are 2001's while Monroe County are Modulators and are tested at the same time on the same day)
I've been over by the cook plant and Palisades and didn't see any sirens right next to each other. So Fermi may be unique

[erik92da]

I assume just like the Fermi Plant, the Nuke plant sirens are not used for weather. Which explains why in Estral Beach, there are two 2001's right next to each other. (All Fermi sirens are 2001's while Monroe County are Modulators and are tested at the same time on the same day)
I've been over by the cook plant and Palisades and didn't see any sirens right next to each other. So Fermi may be unique

These sirens are used for weather as far as I know. The Whelens are all you will find around St Joe and Stevensville, Bridgman, etc.

I remember a Pizza Hut birthday party for someone at school on a particular Saturday around 1990-1991. All of the sudden the siren about a block away went off. I remember it really scared me (7 or 8 at the time), and after it shut down, there was talking saying it was only a drill. Every time I went past that siren, I looked at it and can still clearly remember it.

Now, after doing some research, I am POSITIVE that it was an ACA Hurricane painted dark gray. While the Hurricane is now gone, there is a Whelen somewhat nearby, which explains the "talking" I heard back then. I wonder if the Cook system was all Hurricanes back in the day?

[Grasshopper]

The nuke plants are very sensitive when it comes to activating their siren systems. My guess is they don't use them for weather warning at all.

[500AT]

If my memory serves me correctly, the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, located in Oak Harbor, Ohio allows the local EMA to set their sirens off for tornado warnings. The last I knew, they had a network of Thunderbolts that were painted green. Prior to that system from Federal, they had a really robust network Hurricanes from ACA.

[500AT]

Now, after doing some research, I am POSITIVE that it was an ACA Hurricane painted dark gray. While the Hurricane is now gone, there is a Whelen somewhat nearby, which explains the "talking" I heard back then. I wonder if the Cook system was all Hurricanes back in the day?

You're exactly correct. I can remember seeing several Hurricanes around the Cook Nuclear Power Plant back in 1976-1977. Ironically, they were all painted dark gray, rather than the traditional yellow that was used at Davis Besse in Ohio. With that said, I would have loved to heard them go off for their monthly test.

[Brendan Ahern]

The Whelens in Berrien county all look fairly new. My parents have a summer/ weekend place near Niles. I believe either last summer or the summer before, I saw an ACA siren next to almost every whelen. The whelens had fresh dirt around the base of the poles and most of the ACA's were disconnected. Models varied from banshees to p-10-15's.