LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — The Lucas County Emergency Management Agency received reports of an issue with an outdoor warning siren off of Stadium Road in Oregon after conducting a county-wide test Friday.
Tornado warnings over the past month have sparked concerns about the quality of outdoor warning sirens in the area. Sirens sounded late after tornadoes hit multiple communities in northwest Ohio on June 15. Lucas County EMA Director Abby Buchhop confirmed the agency is now working to fix the Stadium Road siren.
The agency also created a survey to give Lucas County residents the opportunity to keep them notified if concerns rise again.
Oregon residents recalled the recent storms and said it's nice to know local officials are listening to their concerns.
"It just goes to show that you really can't be overly concerned because obviously, these storms come up very quickly and there was no warning," Phyllis Wilde, a Lucas County resident, said.
Buchhop said it's important to know sirens are only sounded when a National Weather Service tornado warning is issued. If a siren is scheduled to be tested and you don't hear it, it's important you let them know.
"For the particular June 15 tornadoes, there was no tornado warning issued by the NWS in the Point Place area," Buchhop said. "When a warning was issued for the Oregon and Oak Harbor area on June 15 and this past Sunday, July 2, the tornado sirens were sounded because of that weather warning."
Buchhop said there are many reasons why a siren may not be heard, including if you are indoors.
"These are outdoor warning sirens. They are intended for people that are outdoors, so if they hear the sirens they should seek shelter, tune into local media, a NOAA radio or other forms of communication," she said.
Wilde said if Lucas County residents can help, they should. She hopes everyone takes advantage of the EMA survey.
"I would definitely urge people to do that you know cause if you can't hear it, it doesn't do any good," Wilde said.
Other recommendations given by the EMA to stay informed include:
- Sign up for Lucas County Alerts here to get emergency alerts sent straight to your phone
- Make sure the WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) settings on your smart phone are turned on
- Rely on outdoor warning sirens only for outdoor alerts.
- Turn to broadcast radio or television for critical details and follow-up information