WEST MICHIGAN — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared March 16 through March 22 Severe Weather Awareness Week, and it's good timing given the first storms of the season hit Michigan last week.
Statewide, there is a voluntary siren test Wednesday, March 19, at 1 p.m. Yet not many West Michigan counties are choosing to partake.
Sarah Clark, the emergency management coordinator for Allegan County, says the reason for skipping Wednesday's drill is for consistency in the communities.
"The reason that we don't do this test is that we already are doing a monthly siren test ourselves, so that's done on the first Friday of every month at 11," Sarah explains.
Kent and Ottawa counties are also non-participants in Wednesday's test, but they run their own on the first Friday of each month at noon.
It's also vital to know sirens are triggered by more than just tornado warnings. Sarah says, “One of them would be for any wind in excess of 70 miles an hour that would set off that, or that would be one of the requirements to activate it. [It] actually can be ... considered an all-hazard siren.”
Sirens are also meant to be heard for people outdoors, not inside. Just because you don't hear a siren when you're in a building doesn't mean you aren't at risk of a storm impacting you.
Local emergency management teams use this week to "batten down the hatches" on their protocol and alert systems. Allegan County is a larger area than most in West Michigan counties, making their relay of information all the more important.
“If I'm in Otsego, I might not care what's happening in Saugatuck, but obviously people in Saugatuck would care," says Sarah, "so you want to make sure that you're able to get those messages out.”
Kent County’s current system sounds all sirens for any severe storm in the county, causing confusion for some not in line for a storm. They are hoping to improve systems in the coming years. The average lead time for a tornado warning is 10 to 15 minutes, which seems like a long time, until you are trying to find a safe zone and inform others.
Lead time on warnings is key. Turning on location-based emergency alert notifications, or downloading the handy FOX 17 Weather app, is a great way to be ahead of the storm. Use this week to review safe places in your home, such as your basement. A centralized closet or bathroom away from exterior walls are the next-best alternatives to spaces below ground level.
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