Time to do away with Weather Sirens

[Alasiren1977]

This video was made by a local news station in Huntsville, Al, after I saw it I was fuming. I will be letting this meteorologist know what an ignorant message he just put out there to everyone!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj6S1ep4ksI

[coyoteunknown]

*sighs* This is proof that an education doesn't make an intelligent individual.

Sure, some tornado sirens are left-over relics from the cold-war. They were designed for mass notification for individuals outside their home and away from a radio or television. Just because they were invented for one purpose doesn't mean they can't be used for another. Anyone that says otherwise is a damned fool.

Weather Radios are nice, but let's face it, what is the number one item that ALWAYS has a set of batteries in it and ALWAYS gets them changed immediately when those batteries die? A smoke detector? A carbon monoxide detector? That portable CD player that uses 8x D batteries? Nope, it'll be the TV remote control.

So if everyone has a Weather Radio, what guarantee is it that they'll get a warning? What if the power goes out and the back-up battery is dead? Whose to say the National Weather Service won't lose power and be unable to broadcast those warnings to those radios?

More importantly, who outside is going to be carrying one around with them? How many women have a portable weather radio in their purse? How many people are ALWAYS by a radio or TV for emergency broadcast warnings when they're not at home?

If I lived in that town I'd call that station and tell them:

"You know what, your "weather man" isn't worth jack. Tornado sirens are a staple in a properly warned and equipped community and yet you let him say they're a waste of funding and tax dollars? If that's the kind of message you're going to be broadcasting, than I and my family will not watch this station or it's affiliate(s) anymore."

Even if EVERY house and business had a FREE weather radio, they still need to have outdoor warning systems. Oh, and outdoor warning systems were used long before the cold war and after it for other reasons than tornado warnings. That's why they're usually referred to as "Outdoor Mass Notification Systems."

[ver tum]

The idea that guy had about getting weather radios for low income families was good, but getting rid of all of the sirens? What an idiot! And News Channel 19 fully supports this crap?

Because the warnings that go out over the weather radios are issued via computers these days, who's to say they won't fail? In fact, They already have failed in some cities. If the weather radios fail, the Emergency Alert System also fails, because the EAS broadcast is sent over NOAA Weather Radio, and it is fully reliant on those SAME tones. It should be mandatory that all cities have sirens. The sirens are the best backup if the EAS and the weather radios fail. Isn't that the whole point of having an integrated warning system?

[hobbeekid]

This video was made by a local news station in Huntsville, Al, after I saw it iIwas fuming. I will be letting this meterologist know what an ignorant message he just put out there to everyone

What are you fuming about? What is so ignorant about his commentary?What that weather guy said made pefect sense to me.How can you hear a outdoorsiren if you don't live right under one? the noaa weather radios make perfect sense to me.

[Alasiren1977]

This video was made by a local news station in Huntsville, Al, after I saw it iIwas fuming. I will be letting this meterologist know what an ignorant message he just put out there to everyone

What are you fuming about? What is so ignorant about his commentary?What that weather guy said made pefect sense to me.How can you hear a outdoorsiren if you don't live right under one? the noaa weather radios make perfect sense to me.

Wow, you really dont get it do you? Read the previous two responses a little better then.

[coyoteunknown]

What are you fuming about? What is so ignorant about his commentary?What that weather guy said made pefect sense to me.How can you hear a outdoorsiren if you don't live right under one? the noaa weather radios make perfect sense to me.

You could hear it if you were outside or lived close to one. They are an outdoor warning device, after all. Siloam Springs has 8x 128dB@100' sirens and I can hear up to three of them from where I'm at. Maybe not indoors, but if I were outside gardening than I'd get the warning.

Sirens are meant for outdoor warning, for individuals NOT in their home beside their Weather Radio.

Also, think about this for a second. What if you're traveling and you stop through at a town to rest? You don't know what the town is called and you don't know what county it's in. Is your Weather Radio going to be much of a help? I think the outdoor sirens in that city would save more lives than a Weather Radio could in that instance.

As someone once said, in Oklahoma, all you have to do is wait five minutes for the weather to change. Outdoor warning systems are a necessity and a luxury. At least here in Tornado Alley. Where we're practically guaranteed a little slice of hell every Spring.

[500AT]

I firmly believe in an integrated, multi-faceted, comprehensive warning system. While NOAA All-Hazards radios are essential part of living in Tornado Alley, I would not solely depend on them in a short-fuse situation, such as a tornado bearing down on my community with little notice whatsoever. Warning sirens are THE key element in warning the public.

In my area, the local fire, emergency management, and police departments across two counties all monitor each other's radio channels. This is because they have spotters in the field who are properly trained, and know what weather conditions to report. Nonetheless, each community can activate their sirens immediately, or the county EOC can set off every siren at once, upon visual confirmation of a tornado. Moreover, it takes several minutes for the warning to reach the public once it is relayed to the local National Weather Service office. However, by that time, outdoor warning sirens can be activated and completed their first cycle, as the twister is tearing apart a subdivision.

There have been numerous confirmed instances in the past, where very large killer tornadoes, moved across the ground at speeds greater than 100 km/h. In an urban setting, such a monstrous funnel can completely wipe out everything in it's path with little, if any time for the public to react. Its a known fact that seconds save lives, and outdoor warning sirens can deliver this message at the local level, better than any other device is service today. Moreover, if you combine sirens with the mass media, all-hazard radios, public education campaigns, and an effective plan of action, you can minimize the casualties from such events. This is a win-win situation.

Sadly, I can think of several times when NOAA All-Hazards transmitters have been down, either for maintenance or damaged by a lightning hit. If you rely on just this one medium, there is a chance for failure. However, if you supplement it with a modern, well maintained siren system, then you have the best means to save lives at the local level.

Sadly, I know a lot of people who have NOAA All-Hazards Radios, and they will turn them off at night, just so the local weather office wake them up for a watch or a warning that does not affect their immediate area. Therefore, the electronics companies that manufacture these radios, should give the consumer greater flexibility to block events they do not want.

Case in point, you want to know that a Tornado Warning has been issued at 03:00 hours for your county, but you could care less about a Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Watch, being issued at the same time. If you can block out certain event codes, or set them to be ignored between 22:00 and 07:00 hours while you sleep, that would be ideal. Nevertheless, to avoid being awakened at that time, many people will just simply turn their radios off, banking that tornado or other emergency will not come to their neighborhood.

I have past, and will stand by outdoor warning siren in the future, as the best means for warning the public of an impending emergency or disaster.

[Minerva Mink]

Well as far as i know i have to agree on what Josh has said. Most of the time when you have a computer sending out information to a weather radio, the computer can up and do one of two things, A. lock up, or B. crash..... which is much worse. The backup warning sirens play a key important role in city / county warning. I live up on a hill for example here in Louisville, and our system mainly consists of Tbolts,xt22s,RSH/STH-10's,Mod's,and a Alertronic not to mension the 2001's. I can hear up to at least 10 of those sirens by me either if I'm indoors or out.

My idea would be is that our goverment should "at least" mandate "new" or "used" sirens to a community for backup purposes. let me know what you think.

[Gil]

Maybe my hearing is bad, but he never said that they should get rid of sirens entirely. he said that they should not be the only method of warning, and that weather radios should be promote. Never once did i hear him say that they should do away with sirens all together. Why don't you actually watch the videos you post.

[Alasiren1977]

I just found the website where you can go to this particular news channel and they are really "Gun Ho" about trying to convince the Congressman and Senators of that area to do away with the siren system. The link is:

http://www.whnt.com/Global/category.asp?C=126108

They have links where you can email this meteorologist and as well as the Senators and Congressman that are involved. I have emailed them all but they are not going to listen to one voice, i would like to see some other "educated people" about sirens voice their concerns about this matter, and maybe we can make some what of a difference in this matter. Thanks guys and gals