Severe Thunderstorms 2-27(Sun) to 2-28-(Mon)2011

[W9NES]

Metro Indianapolis/Marion County had a lot of Heavy Rain and Severe Thunderstorms overnight.Heard a lot of Water Rescues across the area on MECA System 1.We also had a Marion County Severe Weather Net on 146.760 and 443.250.Metro Indianapolis/Marion County Ham Radio Operators including myself were very busy with numerious warnings for our county.Metro Indianapolis/Marion County kept blowing the EMA sirens as per the guidelines for the watches and warnings within Metro Indianapolis/Marion County

 

[rdale]

There was only one tornado warning for Marion County so I hope they didn't keep blowing them due to bad info...

 

[W9NES]

Metro Indianapolis/Marion County EMA ** Emergency Mangement Agency** has a policy now that within Metro Indianapolis/Marion County they** have to sound the EMA sirens for Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm Watches along with Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings**

 

[rdale]

That is a policy made by idiots.

(To put it politely.)

And to be honest, I'm not sure I believe you. You are saying that with blue skies overhead, they sounded the sirens when the watch was issued?

 

[WA9JGB]

Protocol

Tornado Watch alone (NO)
Tornado Warning (Yes)
Tornado Watch with a Severe Thunderstorm Warning (YES)

So it is possible to hear the sirens with a Tornado Watch as long as a Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued.

 

[rdale]

Well, that's better, but still a bad idea. The "severe" storms yesterday caused 1" hail and a few tree limbs down, I'd hate to see sirens being sounded because you'll get a few dents in the car.

 

[W9NES]

Metro Indianapolis/Marion County has A Policy that when we have a Tornado Watch we will get the sirens going off and when we have a Tornado Warning or a Severe Thunderstorm Watch or Warning we still have the sirens go off. This is the policy of Metro Indianapolis/Marion County EMA. We cannot change there written policy.

 

[rdale]

Metro Indianapolis/Marion County has A Policy that when we have a Tornado Watch we will get the sirens going off

Again - that is dumb. And it doesn't match 1) common sense and 2) what is posted above.

This is the policy of Metro Indianapolis/Marion County EMA. We cannot change there written policy.

"We" who? You are the residents of the county - if they are really sounding sirens for watches then you need to get it changed.

 

[W9NES]

Rdale, Thanks and yes"We" meaning the people who live in Metro Indianapolis/Marion County have "No" say so in the matter at hand. EMA has the written policy on this and it will not be changed. This is the reason why the Sirens go off all the time.

 

[jaymatt1978]

I have to state the obvious question here. If the sirens go off too much won;t people eventually ignore them?? I buy the Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado WARNINGS but for WATCHES I think it might be a bit much

Rdale, Thanks and yes"We" meaning the people who live in Metro Indianapolis/Marion County have "No" say so in the matter at hand. EMA has the written policy on this and it will not be changed. This is the reason why the Sirens go off all the time.

 

[rdale]

EMA has the written policy on this and it will not be changed.

Again, if the sirens are used like that, you have a say. They are part of your elected government, and can make the noise you need to make in order to get it changed.

 

[usswood]

Vigo had a tornado warning this morning also yeah!!

 

[W9NES]

Jaymatt 1978, Thanks for your post. In Marion County,Indiana (Metro Indianapolis) EMA does this and when we have a Tornado Watch, Severe Thunderstorm Watch, or a Tornado or a Severe Thunderstorm Warnning for Marion County the sirens do go off. Last Night Sunday 2-27-2011 to Monday Morning 2-28-2011. MECA Public Safety Dispatch put out on Indianapolis Metropolitian Police on MET-NW 1 told all units that "Emergency Mangement Sirens across the City and County have been activiated for a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and a Tornado Watch is in effect until 6:00AM. Marion County EMA does activate all of the sirens across the Metro Indianapolis/Marion County area. This is their written policy.I would rather that the sirens go off for this to keep myself, myfamily, and my neighbors up to date as the weather conditions warrant.

 

[bamx2]

Again, if the sirens are used like that, you have a say. They are part of your elected government, and can make the noise you need to make in order to get it changed.

They don't go off for a watch only. Bad info. They do go off for svr under a tor watch. I don't like that policy, but last night there was at least one completely unwarned tornado.
Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[W9NES]

Bamx, Thanks but the infomation I have posted is Correct. When we are under a Tornado Watch along with a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Marion County the sirens DO go off. Please feel free to listen to MECA and any of the IMPD MET Dist Talkgroups where you will hear Meca control Operators making this statement that I heard last night. The same thing happens everytime we have Severe Weather in Marion County. If you will listen to the 146.760 Marion County Servere Weather Net BOB,Net Control puts out the Following"The reason why the sirens are going off is becuase of EMA" We are under a Tornado Watch and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Marion County"Bob gets his infomation from EMA and that is what a Contact with Marion County EMA told him!!!!! That is their written policy.Yes the sirens went off for a reason.(3) Times after Midnight on Monday 2-28-2011 02:30 AM on 2-28-2011.I live down the street from (3) Marion County Sirens and they all went off at the smae time. My Siren is located at 7500 North Michigan Road. **This protocall has been in place now for 2-3 Years now**

 

[rdale]

Bamx, Thanks but the infomation I have posted is Correct. When we are under a Tornado Watch along with a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Marion County the sirens DO go off.

That's not what you've said. You said they go off for tornado watches, and severe thunderstorm watches. Others (including myself) are quite certain that is incorrect info.

It is stupid to sound sirens for a severe thunderstorm warning UNLESS it is a storm with a history of very strong (> 75mph) winds. Just because there is a tornado watch in effect has no bearing on the storm itself. I'm surprised the people of Marion County are letting this go without putting any common sense into their thinking.

...and for the record, NWS IND issues 13 warnings last night and 12 were false alarms.

 

[Viper43]

Well, that's better, but still a bad idea. The "severe" storms yesterday caused 1" hail and a few tree limbs down, I'd hate to see sirens being sounded because you'll get a few dents in the car.

Fortville & Ingalls (Hancock & Madison Counties) had NO warnings and there WAS a tornado touchdown between the two towns in addition to straightline winds. The winds did a lot of damage in Fortville while the tornado destroyed two barns and a house. The sirens went off 15 minutes after the damage was done. It seems the NWS never noticed the first signs of trouble in that area. Then the second time they still didn't include Hancock County! They really blew it on this one, and part of the issue was not enough people watching the radar and they were looking at other areas instead.
The house that was destroyed, the owner was in bed and when the roof was removed by the tornado a 2 by 4 hit him in the head knocking him out. When he came too he had rain falling on him and in the dark found his way out of the house through the mess. He was lucky!
That was way too close to home too, I'm right near Fortville and my home was hit by a tornado May 30, 2008. I lost 40 trees in that mess, and only have one tree in the yard now.

 

[rdale]

It seems the NWS never noticed the first signs of trouble in that area. Then the second time they still didn't include Hancock County! They really blew it on this one, and part of the issue was not enough people watching the radar and they were looking at other areas instead.

Just curious how many they had watching the radar? What areas were they looking at?

Did you go back in time and check the radar to see what it showed? What would be even better is if you pulled up the time in question, removed the map so people wouldn't know where the tornado occurred, and show it to met's to see if they can find the tornado.

It's possible they "blew it" - but it's just as possible that the technology isn't there to detect every individual tornado in the world.

And the end result is - now that Marion Co is sounding the sirens every time a bird farts - is that nobody is going to acknowledge the sirens anymore anywa.s

 

[vinzep491]

Crazy weather a few hrs ago here in south carolina midlands. couple of fallen trees but other than that the scanner stayed pretty boring

 

[bamx2]

Just curious how many they had watching the radar? What areas were they looking at?

Did you go back in time and check the radar to see what it showed? What would be even better is if you pulled up the time in question, removed the map so people wouldn't know where the tornado occurred, and show it to met's to see if they can find the tornado.

I checked the radar about 10 min before that hit and didn't notice anything. Granted I don't have 4 years of training and 10 years of OTJ, but still. Its a fact of life storms get missed sometimes. It sucks when it happens, and it sucks more when it happens close to home. With the clutter of last nights storms though, I am surprised more didn't slip through. I don't have any access to radar archives. If you are curious rdale it was around the 12:30 hour last night, about 30-45 miles NE of Indy along SR 67.