NUMBER OF BUTLER COUNTY TORNADO SIRENS, BY COMMUNITY
New Miami/St. Clair Twp.: 1
Monroe/Lemon Twp.: 5
Fairfield Twp.: 5
Oxford: 7
Liberty Twp.: 7
Hamilton: 9
Trenton: 9
Middletown: 10
Fairfield: 10
West Chester Twp.: 11
Source: Butler County EMA
TOP OHIO WIND-RELATED CATASTROPHES*
2008 Hurricane Ike: $1.33 billion
1974 Xenia tornado: $1.06 billion
June 28-July 2, 2012 wind storms: $845 million
May 20-26, 2011 wind storm: $329 million
Oct. 29-30, 2012 Superstorm Sandy: $292 million
*storm estimates in 2012 dollar amounts
Source: Ohio Insurance Institute
Tornado and wind related events killed nearly 25 Ohioans in the past five years, despite advances in how people are alerted of strong storms.
Experts agree there isn’t one perfect plan for alerting those in the storm’s path, but say the key is having several systems in place to ensure there are multiple ways a resident can be notified.
Wednesday’s deadly storms in Texas should be a reminder to people that spring is the most favorable time of year for these disastrous strikes that leave costly damage, local emergency management officials say. Since 2008, 126 tornados have hit Ohio, a majority of them during the first six months of the year.
When it comes to emergency preparedness, local communities use a variety of resources to help get the word out to their citizens about pending disasters.
However, authorities encourage citizens to do all they can to make sure they are in a position to get alerts about potential threats.
Most of the 150 tornado sirens located throughout Butler and Warren counties are activated if a tornado warning is issued or a funnel cloud is spotted in that particular county, according to local Emergency Management Agency directors.
If a warning has been issued or a tornado spotted in the county, all sirens are sounded in every city and township.
The only exception is West Chester Twp., which sounds its alarms upon notification from the National Weather Service of a tornado warning that covers all or part of the township, all of southeast or southwest Butler County, or whenever a confirmed tornado touchdown has occurred or a funnel cloud sighting has been confirmed in or near the West Chester Twp., said Barb Wilson, Director of Integrated Multimedia & Marketing for the township.
Jeff Galloway, director of the Butler County EMA, said he fully supported every city and township in the county adopting the same procedure several years ago. Before that, he said, residents may not have known if the sirens indicated severe weather in the area, a tornado watch had been issued by the National Weather Service or if a tornado had been sighted.
Because they went off so frequently, he said, they may had lost some of their effectiveness.
Now, he said, that guesswork has been eliminated. The alarm indicates the same thing, regardless of where you live.
“We don’t want to confuse people,” Galloway said. “Now when they hear it, they know it’s the real thing and they can take action.”
He said people then should take cover immediately, turn on the TV or radio for updates, or call the county’s EMA hotline at 513-785-5800.
All sirens within the county are tested at noon the first Wednesday of the month, Galloway said. The tests are not conducted when there is the possibility of severe weather on that day, he said.
Rick Murray, operations manager for the Warren County EMA for 13 years, said since every jurisdiction in the county follows the same guidelines it eliminates possible confusion.
“We’re all on the same page,” he said. “That makes a big difference.”
Middletown Fire Chief Steve Botts said since tornadoes typically move fast, it’s important to warn residents throughout the county. For instance, he said, a tornado spotted just down Interstate 75 near the Cincinnati Premium Outlet Mall in Monroe could hit Middletown in the matter of minutes.
Twisters and other wind-related storms caused more than $1.5 billion in property damage in Ohio, according to the Ohio Insurance Institute.
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