KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Tornado sirens went off in the county Tuesday night, prompting confusion from those on the ground. Even though skies were clear, the sirens wailed for about three minutes.
The National Weather Service (NWS) was tracking some potentially concerning activity Tuesday afternoon, prompting a severe weather threat across West Michigan after 3 p.m.
Homes in Allegan and Barry counties started getting hit with hail — a lot of hail — in the early evening hours.
"Anytime we see the ingredients for large hail, we have the potential for rotating supercells," explained National Weather Service meteorologist James Maczko. "And we had so many supercells around yesterday."
Just before 9 p.m. Tuesday, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued by the NWS for the Middleville/Caledonia area.
At 9:36 p.m., a tornado warning was issued for the area, stretching through parts of Allegan and Barry counties.
"The threat from that tornado warning was mainly toward Middleville, but it did include a portion of southeast Kent County," Maczko said.
At 9:33 p.m., sirens started going off in Kent County, despite no presence of concerning weather.
They would go quiet within about three minutes, by 9:36.
Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for Kent County Scott Corbin told FOX 17 in a statement Wednesday that they initiated the sirens after the alert was issued by the NWS.
"On April 23, 2024, at approximately 9:33 pm, the Kent County Sheriff's Office activated our outdoor warning sirens in response to a Tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service. Only a few minutes later, at 9:36 pm, the tornado warning was canceled. According to the National Weather Service, Kent County was inadvertently included in the warning area. Kent County has strict protocols to activate sirens promptly after a warning has been issued," the statement read.
"As many of you may recall, our community experienced a tornado in August of 2023, underscoring the importance of preparedness and timely warnings. In recent years, we have observed an increase in wind-related events, prompting us to continually improve our warning capabilities.
"The Kent County Sheriff's Office remains steadfast in implementing best practices in early warning and notification systems, consistently seeking ways to bolster our capabilities and safeguard our community. We appreciate your cooperation and urge everyone to stay informed and prepared during severe weather events."
The National Weather Service feels it is important to gather information about your surroundings from multiple trusted sources.
“I think it's key for everybody to have multiple ways to receive weather warnings,” Maczko said Wednesday. “I recommend not relying solely on one, because that's really where you get yourself into trouble if that one system fails.”
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