NASHVILLE – The city’s storm alert system is out of commission and may remain that way for several days, Fire Marhsall and Code Enforcement Officer Jerry Harwell announced Thursday morning.
Harwell said the town’s three weather sirens, located in Tolland Heights, at the intersection of Main and Sypert Streets and near Scrapper Arena, were damaged during the EF 2 tornado which blew through town last Sunday. Although the storm produced winds in excess of 125 miles per hour, Harwell said it was the length of time for which they were active that caused the damage.
“Apparently the other night, during the storm, they did their job, but apparently the amount of time that they were blown has done something to the electronics in them and they’re not working,” he explained.
According to Harwell, the city plans to use equipment from the 1960s as a stop-gap until the modern sirens can be repaired. “We’re gonna do a test today at noon on the old civil defense siren located under the water tower on Clark and Third,” he stated.
Inspection today from the Mt. Ida-based Bates Communication showed that the speaker drivers on each device are blown as well as some amplifiers. The city may end up having to replace the sirens, which Harwell said could cost as much as $12,000 per location for a total of over $35,000.
In the mean time, those seeking an early warning about potential bad weather area urged to pay attention to local and statewide media whenever possible, as Harwell notes the civil defense siren has no contingency mechanism for power outages.
