Daviess County Adds Another Way to Keep Residents Safe

While we're baking in this late summer inferno from a high pressure system that's become the guest that wouldn't leave, we should also remember that soon, believe it or not, we'll be heading into our secondary severe weather season.

Mother Nature doesn't lose her cool in the fall nearly as often as she does in the spring, but a handful of nasty, tornadic storms over the last 20-plus years reminds us to be vigilant nonetheless.

I'm thinking of the deadly November 2005 Evansville-area tornado and the October 2007 twister that roared through downtown Owensboro, destroying or severely damaging multiple structures in its path.

Daviess County Launches Free Emergency Alert System

On June 1, Daviess County Emergency Management and Daviess County Fiscal Court supplemented our invaluable outdoor warning sirens with the launch of a new mass notification system so folks can receive important local alerts during events like tornadoes.

According to the county, the system may be used to distribute severe-weather alerts, boil-water advisories, public-safety information, emergency notifications that aren't necessarily weather-related, and other time-sensitive community alerts.

Residents who sign up can choose to receive notifications by text, email or phone call.

Why Daviess County Residents Need More Than One Warning Method

Daviess County Emergency Management reminds us that the sirens are outdoor warning devices. They are intended to alert people who are outside to seek shelter and may not be heard inside homes or businesses. That's why emergency officials recommend having more than one dependable way to receive warnings. (We live about a half-mile from one of the sirens; we NEVER have trouble hearing them.)

The importance of having multiple warning methods became especially clear earlier this month. Daviess County Emergency Management reported that a September 5 warning was transmitted through incorrect siren sites, causing confusion. Officials said the problem involved programming for a loaner component being used in the system and that they were working with their installation partner to have it replaced.

The incident doesn't diminish the importance of the outdoor sirens. It does, however, reinforce the need for residents to have more than one dependable way to receive emergency information.

During an emergency, getting accurate information to people as quickly as possible is priority No. 1. With the sirens, local broadcasts, weather radios and this additional notification service, we can be better prepared than ever before.