Warning Siren Didn't Sound During Fort Worth Tornado
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Office workers in the building struck by a tornado in Fort Worth last week were surprised a prior warning didn't sound from nearby outdoor warning sirens. But emergency managers said there is a lesson to be learned from the siren's silence and the misconceptions about when a siren goes off.
"There were no sirens," said Mark Wrzesinski who works in the Mercantile building damaged in the storm. "We just noticed the sky kind of got dark."
Wrzesinski was in his office when the tornado ripped huge sheets of metal off of the roof. He had no idea a tornado had hit until he looked outside.
"I couldn't tell whether it was still touching or not but it was the first indication that we had that there was an actual tornado," he said.
The sirens are set off from an emergency operations room in Fort Worth.
"We have what we call a warning lifecycle," said Fort Worth Emergency Management Coordinator Juan Ortiz. "If something happens we make a decision to warn or not to warn."
When conditions are ripe for a tornado, the sirens cannot be set off unless there is confirmed rotation or a tornado on the ground. And Thursday's tornado wasn't confirmed until it had already caused damage.
Fort Worth sent warnings in advance of the tornado out through email and cellphone through the free NIXLE service. They say people have the misconception the sirens go off prior to a tornado forming.
"Our warning tools have different roles to play," Ortiz said. "The main thing is we cannot rely on one tool so we have a toolbox where we have outdoor warning systems and email and text warning systems."
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