Tornadoes, Sirens, and Telephones
Apparently Lancaster County will soon have an automated phone call system in place to warn people in the path of a tornado. It’s one extra measure—in addition to sirens, television and radio warnings, and, you know, those scary looking clouds—to let people know they need to take shelter. It could be particularly useful for nighttime tornadoes.
Details are slim, though. The linked piece and a quick blurb in the Journal Star are all I’ve heard about it. I have a bunch of questions. Where do they get the phone numbers? How do you add a phone number? How do you opt out? What circumstances trigger a call? Will the program succumb to feature creep? The system is supposed to go online in a month, so presumably most of the answers will come then.
The Comments
Sarah says I know this! April 11, 2008 at 10:48am
This was spoken about on a TV news broadcast in the last couple weeks. The system would automatically dial all landlines associated with applicable zip codes. I believe the call-triggering circumstance was named as a “confirmed tornado” that your zip code would be in the path of… Not 100% sure on this one.
People with mobile numbers could opt-in. And the coolest fact I heard was that the system can make 3500 calls per minute. That’s not quick enough to notify an entire large city of a fast-moving storm, but would be great for smaller communities (especially those without sirens).
Gene says RE: I know this! April 11, 2008 at 1:30pm
Sarah actually takes notes when she watches the news. She’s very thorough.
jonboy says I can see it now:COUPLE April 11, 2008 at 11:28am
I can see it now:
COUPLE SUES CITY OF LINCOLN FOR NOT CALLING
by jonboy
Mr & Mrs John Doe are suing the City of Lincoln for breech of contract and emotional distress over the loss of their family parakeet. During last night’s tornado that ripped through town, they claim the City of Lincoln’s automated tornado warning calling system did not call them, and they have proof that they were registered.
“We had no warning there was a tornado in the area,” Doe stated. “We were sitting on our porch, saw a funnel shaped thing drop from the heavens, and had no time to save our beloved bird since the city did not call”
Spotters in the neighborhood stated the sirens were blaring (the Doe’s have an EMS siren in their backyard that was/and still is functional....
CS says RE: I can see it now:COUPLE April 11, 2008 at 2:33pm
Must....stop.....laughing.......trying.....not...to ...spit......
New...work....issued.......monitors.
I failed.
Sarah says RE: I can see it now:COUPLE April 11, 2008 at 9:15pm
Too funny.