EATON COUNTY, Mich. — There was a tornado warning in Eaton County yesterday, but not everyone heard the sirens.
That's because of the way warnings are issued now.
Central dispatch says it's no accident that not all the sirens went off. The new system is designed to only use them when and where necessary.
"I think there was some confusion as to why sirens on the east side of the county weren't activated. But that's simply because the threat, the tornado warning, was coming from Barry County, on the west side of the county," ENP Director for Eaton Co. Central Dispatch Michael Armitage said.
Armitage says this is the first time the county has used the new system so he understands the concern. The county hasn't had a tornado warning since 2016, so they want to make sure people don't get used to them.
"We don't want to cry wolf. We don't want to over-activate sirens and get people immune to it. We're really trying to target warning people who are actually in the path of the storm and not warning people that won't be affected."
Armitage says people in the county can receive also "rave alerts" on their phone by getting the Smart 911 app. This allows them to get more precise warnings right down to their address. He says but even with the new technology, people still should take warnings seriously.
"When you hear that siren, that should be a prompt for you to go inside, take shelter and then use radio, media or other means to find out what is happening," he said.
To receive rave alerts, text EATON to 67283. To download the Smart 911 App on iTunes, click here.
To download the Smart 911 app on GooglePlay, click here.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
