Springfield’s mayor says storms last week and the city’s response are a chance to evaluate current procedures and identify areas for improvement.
Many in the community have questioned why outdoor warning sirens were not activated as a tornado struck the city’s north side.
The Springfield Fire Department oversees the sirens. According to Chief Nick Zummo, the storm did not meet established criteria for activation.
"On the evening of June 10, the Springfield Fire Department was actively monitoring National Weather Service alerts and maintaining communication with regional emergency management partners," Zummo said. "Based on the information available to emergency management personnel at the time, there were no radar-indicated tornadoes, trained weather spotter reports, or other indicators within Springfield that met activation criteria for the city's siren system."
Tornado warnings were issued for areas near Athens at 10:58 p.m. and Elkhart at 11:12 p.m.; however, those warnings did not include the City of Springfield.
City leaders said initial reports indicated damage was believed to have been caused by straight-line winds, and wind speed data was not immediately available.
It was later determined an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 110 m.p.h. occurred.
According to current policy, sirens are activated when one or more of the following conditions are met:
- Sustained winds of 70 mph or greater
- Golf ball-sized hail or larger
- A radar-indicated tornado affecting Springfield
- Confirmation of a tornado by a trained weather spotter
"As Mayor, and as a resident of Springfield's north end, this storm unfolded in my own backyard," said Mayor Buscher. "As I watched the lightning and changing conditions, I wondered, like many residents, what exactly was developing. The weather escalated quickly and unexpectedly, catching many of us off guard."
"Every resident deserves confidence that we are continually evaluating our emergency response systems and looking for ways to improve. As your Mayor, I am committed to reviewing our processes, working with our public safety partners, and identifying opportunities to strengthen our preparedness and communication efforts."
