Sirens not sounded for Tornado Warning

[Archon]

Chicago decided not to sound the sirens even tho Cook county was under a tornado warning and there were winds at 75mph Stupid.

[Gil]

That's because there was no reported funnel clouds.

[kswx29]

Was that 75MPH winds in or heading toward the City of Chicago (I don't mean the burbs i mean the City Limits of Chicago)...I thought Chicago only sounds sirens when storms are heading for the city limits.

[Gil]

They only sound sirens when there is a Tornado Warning AND a funnel cloud is sighted.

[Brendan Ahern]

A friend of mine talked to the EMA yesterday, they will only sound the sirens if a funnel is sighted within 10 miles of the city limits. They sounded them last year when this happened. There is no real reason to set off sirens for high winds, you are warning about something that is already going on. It happened so fast that by the time they would have set off the sirens, it would have been almost over. There is a lot of damage and i will probably post pictures soon. Cant promise anything as its hard to get around right now...still a lot of traffic lights out. There are also more storms on the way, so I dont want to get caught in it like I did yesterday.

[JasonC]

I think sounding sirens for high winds is a good idea, but like Brendan said, by the time they are set off, its usually over.

[red04stanggt]

Here in kansas city i know now my county could be under a tornado warning and they still wont sound the sirens in the area im in. basically we could be under a warning but the storm effected area maybe 20 miles away they sound the sirens in the area the storm is at. It used to be county wide untill a couple years ago

[Trey]

I agree that sounding sirens for destructive wind is a good idea, but only as long as it is a third signal like hi-low, or something different than for tornadoes/attacks/tests, that way nobody is confused. I also think it would be good to have a severe thunderstorm signal to get you prepared if there is hail coming that could beat the living hell out of your property.

EDIT: Post doesn't sound their sirens either in the event of a tornado warning unless the tornado is 1/2 a mile from the city limits at most. I remember a couple of years ago that a tornado was reported two miles out of the city limits and no sirens were sounded, but they were urging people to take cover.

[kswx29]

Here in kansas city i know now my county could be under a tornado warning and they still wont sound the sirens in the area im in. basically we could be under a warning but the storm effected area maybe 20 miles away they sound the sirens in the area the storm is at. It used to be county wide untill a couple years ago

Shawnee County has a similar system. If a Tornado Warning is issued for NW SHCO then sirens in the NW Part of the county are sounded and not in the rest of the county. But if a warning is issued in Southern, Northern, Eastern, Central or SW Shawnee County then sirens countywide (Except in NW Shawnee County) are sounded.

[Thunderbolt 612]

That was so stupid not sounding the sirens for the high winds, and as a result, they said on the news that one person died from the storm.