Smithville Looking At Better Warning System

Smithville officials are working on implementing a better tornado warning system for residents.

Mayor Josh Miller said the concern comes after Putnam County’s tornado devastation.

“I just don’t think that we are ready as far as our alert system with the sirens,” Miller said. “The bottom line is saving lives, I mean we can’t stop an EF-4 tornado from coming through town but if we have the proper warning system in place, again, it’s about safety and saving lives.”

Miller and Fire Chief Charles Parker have been collaborating to get this project off the ground. Parker said Smithville’s warning siren system is dangerously outdated.

“Smithville has a siren on top of the city hall and we do use it in conjunction with tornado warnings, but it’s not going to reach the entire city. It initially would not wake people up in the middle of the night,” Parker said.

Both officials have contacted emergency companies for quotes, mapped areas where sirens would be most beneficial, and updating their Hyperlink system from landlines to mobile phones.

“We’re just trying to get the community not just in Smithville but all of Dekalb County to kinda be aware,” Parker said. “I mean if you can purchase weather radios, if you don’t have them already, that’s also a good thing to do because they do come with a battery back up. We just urge people to have more than one way of getting notified in the event of a tornado warning.”

Miller said he hopes to have this project completed soon.