Inspection & Tests Reveal Tornado Siren Functioning Properly

The Village of Manchester tornado siren is located atop the water tower.

After a devastating storm ripped through Freedom Township in the early hours of Tuesday, June 23, several residents questioned why the local tornado warning system, with a siren located atop the Village of Manchester water tower, had not alerted Manchester to the proximity of dangerous weather.

Village Manager Jeff Wallace, in response to several calls and email messages, did double check with Washtenaw County Emergency Management and was informed that the sirens did, indeed activate at about the same time alerts came over the cellular phone networks.

"I checked with residents (who live) by the siren and one confirmed that the siren did indeed go off," Wallace said in a message to Village Council members.

Wallace added that the siren is inspected annually by a company hired by the village, as well as being routinely tested each month by Washtenaw County Emergency Management at noon on the first Saturday of each month, and it had worked properly during the June 6 test.

"I need to say that the siren is for an outdoor warning for people to take cover and is not intended as a warning for those inside their homes," Wallace said, "even though having the windows open may help." He added that the sirens are also activated by the same alert system that sends out cell phone messages.

"The winds were really blowing that evening, which could have minimized the chance of the siren being heard," he said. "The confirmation (of the activation) I received was east of the siren location."

Wallace said the siren was again inspected by the independent inspector after concerns were noted about many residents who did not hear the alert when it was sounded.

"This is irregular, but will make all of us more comfortable to ensure the system in place has not malfunctioned as some may think, even though at this point it is only hearsay," he said. "We think that is the most prudent thing to do so that we will have a final determination and put  minds at rest.

"Obviously, if there is a problem, it will be taken care of immediately."

The siren also worked appropriately when it was routinely tested at noon on July 4.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.