Valley View outdoor warning siren malfunctioned, didn't sound before deadly tornado: Officials
VALLEY VIEW – Officials from a North Texas town with a population of almost 800 say a malfunction was the reason a tornado siren didn't warn residents of what was coming.
Valley View authorities say the outdoor warning siren did not sound before Saturday's tornado that killed seven and injured at least 100 people.
In a statement, the Valley View Fire Department says "upon activation of the siren, it malfunctioned, and did not set off an audible alert. Crews were unable to immediately rectify the issue, and abandoned the siren."
Officials say they found a wiring issue Wednesday, where power is drawn from the building. They say the issue has been fixed and the siren is back in service.
A low-end EF-3 moved across I-35 south of Valley View along the Cooke/Denton County line on May 25. Preliminarily categorized as an EF-2, the National Weather Service survey released Monday increased the Valley View tornado to a low-end EF-3 due to additional information on the structure of new homes west of Valley View.
Wind speeds of up to 135 mph ripped through Valley View, tossing cars and damaging homes.