Warning sirens will sound in North Platte and the villages in Lincoln County for all dangerous hazards, not only tornados, under procedures that were adopted early this year.
Only the circumstances of when the siren sound will change, not the siren itself, the Lincoln County Emergency Management Office said Friday, making the announcement as the most likely season of severe weather gets underway.
The procedure applies to North Platte, Lake Maloney, Sutherland, Maxwell, Brady and Wellfleet.
The siren will sound if there is:
• A radar signature of strong, persistent rotation of a funnel cloud or potentially life-threatening weather within 10 miles of an affected community and in the path of the event.
• Straight line winds in excess of 80 mph, often indicative of damaging straight-line winds associated with a Severe Thunderstorm.
• Potentially life threatening or damaging hail of 2.75” in diameter or larger (i.e. tennis ball size or larger).
• Large-scale hazardous materials spill that could harm the general public if action is not taken.
The all-hazard outdoor warning sirens should sound upon these alerts by the National Weather Service:
• Flash flood with the threat tag “Considerable “or “Catastrophic.”
• Severe thunderstorm warning with the Threat Tag “Destructive.”
• Dust storm warning.
• Large-scale hazardous materials spill that could harm the general public if action is not taken.
Also, test warnings will continue to sound at 11:30 a.m. on the first Wednesdays of each month.
Residents are also advised to have a weather radio, as well as apps that alert of hazardous weather and other dangerous events. Residents can sign up for the free Smart 911, which will enroll cell phones for Rave Alerts, Lincoln County and North Platte’s emergency notification system.
The activation of the outdoor all hazards warning siren shall mean that citizens should move to a place of safety.
Detailed information shall be distributed by the news media as to specific actions for residents to take.
The sirens shall not be used to issue an all-clear signal, the announcement said.
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I see the use of a single siren for multiple things will just confuse a lot of citizens.