WEB EXCLUSIVE: Severe storms prompt SIUE's tornado sirens
Catherine Klene
Issue date: 6/11/08 Section: News
SIUE's tornado sirens blared Friday afternoon, and the campus community took cover as a wave of storms with the potential for tornadoes rolled through southeastern Madison County.
The National Weather Service issued two tornado warnings for Madison County Friday afternoon, one at 2:55 p.m. and another at 3:45 p.m. The final warning expired at 4:45 p.m.
Scott Truett, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service, said there were two reports of tornados in Collinsville and St. Jacob, as well as a rotating wall cloud.
"A rotating wall cloud is often a precursor to a tornado," Truett said.
Truett said Friday's storms were not "run of the mill" thunderstorms.
"Most thunderstorms never produce tornados or the threat of tornados," Truett said. "They were certainly much stronger than your average thunderstorm."
SIUE police chief Regina Hays was one of those who made the official decision to sound the campus sirens after Glen Carbon reported a tornado sighting near Meridian Road.
"Being in close proximity to Meridian Road, we decided to set off ours," Hays said.
The sirens went off at 4:11 p.m., and those on campus went to storm shelters until the all-clear was sounded at approximately 4:25 p.m.
Hays said the alarms were set off "because we were getting close to the time when the university leaves for the day."
Hays said the tornado sirens and getting everyone to shelter went off without a problem, due in part to the monthly tests. The sound was familiar to those who regularly hear the wailing on the first Tuesday of every month. The all-clear system is also periodically tested.
Hays said during storms like Friday's, people should still watch the weather closely, even though the SIUE police do.
"Even though we send you to the basement, you should be trying to attempt to monitor the weather as well," Hays said.
Although SIUE set off its tornado sirens, the city of Edwardsville did not.
Jamie Nollman, records clerk with the Edwardsville Police Department, said storms must meet certain criteria before the city sets off the sirens.
"In order for our sirens to go off, we have to have either winds going 60 mph, golf ball-sized hail, or a sighting of a funnel cloud by more than one person," Nollman said.
According to Larry Ringeringe, director of emergency management in Madison County, there are no tornado sirens specifically for the county. That duty falls to the individual cities and towns.
The National Weather Service issued two tornado warnings for Madison County Friday afternoon, one at 2:55 p.m. and another at 3:45 p.m. The final warning expired at 4:45 p.m.
Scott Truett, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service, said there were two reports of tornados in Collinsville and St. Jacob, as well as a rotating wall cloud.
"A rotating wall cloud is often a precursor to a tornado," Truett said.
Truett said Friday's storms were not "run of the mill" thunderstorms.
"Most thunderstorms never produce tornados or the threat of tornados," Truett said. "They were certainly much stronger than your average thunderstorm."
SIUE police chief Regina Hays was one of those who made the official decision to sound the campus sirens after Glen Carbon reported a tornado sighting near Meridian Road.
"Being in close proximity to Meridian Road, we decided to set off ours," Hays said.
The sirens went off at 4:11 p.m., and those on campus went to storm shelters until the all-clear was sounded at approximately 4:25 p.m.
Hays said the alarms were set off "because we were getting close to the time when the university leaves for the day."
Hays said the tornado sirens and getting everyone to shelter went off without a problem, due in part to the monthly tests. The sound was familiar to those who regularly hear the wailing on the first Tuesday of every month. The all-clear system is also periodically tested.
Hays said during storms like Friday's, people should still watch the weather closely, even though the SIUE police do.
"Even though we send you to the basement, you should be trying to attempt to monitor the weather as well," Hays said.
Although SIUE set off its tornado sirens, the city of Edwardsville did not.
Jamie Nollman, records clerk with the Edwardsville Police Department, said storms must meet certain criteria before the city sets off the sirens.
"In order for our sirens to go off, we have to have either winds going 60 mph, golf ball-sized hail, or a sighting of a funnel cloud by more than one person," Nollman said.
According to Larry Ringeringe, director of emergency management in Madison County, there are no tornado sirens specifically for the county. That duty falls to the individual cities and towns.
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