Sedgwick County explains siren failure in Derby during tornado warning
24 June 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Severe weather that impacted parts of Sedgwick County last Saturday caused concern for some residents in Derby, as the tornado sirens never went off.
A news release from Sedgwick County Government says during the severe weather threat last Saturday, the outdoor warning system was successfully activated everywhere in the county, except for Derby.
County officials say this failure is being looked into by a warning system contractor.
In 2007, the National Weather Service introduced Storm Based Warnings or polygons for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods that are more geographically specific and not restricted to geopolitical boundaries. Polygons focus on the true threat area. In those areas, the sirens will sound.
The current warning system separates Sedgwick County into seven different zones, and zones are activated if a polygon is reported inside of it.
Because of the issues from last weekend, Sedgwick County Emergency Management is consolidating activation to just five for the next five years.
In 2021, Sedgwick County officials told the Board of County Commissioners of the serviceability challenges of the outdoor warning system. Last year, the board approved a five-year phased project to replace, refurbish and upgrade the county’s entire outdoor warning system.
Additionally, county officials say the project will expand coverage in several areas.