Alabama County Plans Site-Specific Tornado Warnings

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Emergency officials in an Alabama county plan to sound tornado sirens in specific areas where storms are, and will no longer activate all sirens in the county with every tornado warning.

Madison County’s system is designed to alert only those in the vicinity of a dangerous storm and not alarm residents who may be 40 miles away and out of harm’s way, Al.com reported.

The Huntsville/Madison County Emergency Management Agency purchased the system for $88,000 and can now tailor outdoor siren alerts via sirens to match areas in the track of storms as determined by the National Weather Service office in Huntsville.

It essentially matches the outdoor warning system to the polygon-shaped warning area identified by the weather service.

“When we sound the sirens countywide, if there is a storm in the New Hope/Owens Cross Roads area, then the people in Madison, Harvest, Toney, they’re wondering why we set the sirens off,” said Scott Worsham, an officer with the EMA. “It may be sunshine where they are.

“Now that the weather service issues tornado warnings via polygon, we recognize the need to try to closely match that polygon with our outdoor warning sirens.”

Madison County is also the only area in north Alabama with the technology to create a targeted warning area, Worsham said. Some counties have the capability to sound sirens in certain predetermined areas, he said.

Carcione, however, sounded a familiar refrain from weather forecasters and cautioned residents not to rely on outdoor sirens as the primary warning of approaching dangerous weather.

Forecasters caution that residents should not rely on outdoor warnings sirens alone.

“Obviously, having multiple ways to get warnings is always the best way to do it — whether it’s weather radio and your cell phone or, if you’re outdoors, sirens will help,” said Brian Carcione, a meteorologist with the Huntsville weather service office.