TOLEDO, Ohio — Outdoor warning sirens sounded too late in certain places of northwest Ohio last week as severe storms and tornadoes wreaked havoc, and one of Ohio's senators is looking for answers.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) authored a letter to the National Weather Service dated June 20 expressing his concerns with the "delayed and rather confused" reports area residents received last Thursday. County EMA personnel sound the sirens in Lucas County, but rely on information from the NWS in making the decision.
Many area residents, especially in and around the Point Place area of Toledo where an EF-2 tornado touched down, noted they didn't hear the sirens until the most severe weather had passed.
"Most unfortunately, tornado sirens were going off in part in the city of Toledo only after the storm ripped through and weather reports warning of dangers were well behind where they needed to be to effectively warn Ohioans in the northwest part of the state of the impending danger," Brown wrote. "This is now the second time I have observed delays like this in this calendar year and I am concerned that it may be indicative of a systemic issue."
Read the full letter below. Mobile users, click here.
The NWS confirmed nine tornadoes touched down last Thursday in northwest Ohio, causing extensive damage, especially in the Point Place area. No injuries were officially reported, but WTOL 11 spoke to a woman who required stitches after being hit by a tree branch that flew through her window.
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