Round Rock Edition | May 2022

WEATHER

A tornado struck many areas of Round Rock on March 21 and caused more than $32 million in damage. (Courtesy Jeerson Carroll)

RoundRock ocials say tornado sirens not needed Following a tornado that touched down in southeast Round Rock and caused extensive damage on March 21, residents called on the city to install tornado sirens, pointing out that neighboring cities Georgetown and Jarrell have long used them as an additional safety measure. Williamson County gures state Tornado sirens are activated by emergency response sta once a warning is issued, Glaiser said, adding that they also often require someone to be outdoors to hear them. BY BROOKE SJOBERG I was there during the major thun- derstorm,” Glaiser said. “They’re in an older house built in the ‘70s, so it doesn’t have near the insulation and soundproong that today’s homes have. I barely heard the siren.” Capital Area Council of Gov-

BE PREPARED The National Weather Service recommends multiple methods of preparation for tornadoes.

Check the local weather forecast regularly.

“Think about a lightning detector at a baseball eld. It’ll pick up the static 20 miles away,” Glaiser said. “It’ll set o a warning to tell the base- ball team to go indoors and shelter. The same happens with the tornado siren—it’s just a warning device.” Other warning systems, such as push notications from weather monitoring apps, robocalls from local government, local news stations and weather radios are better at warning residents, Glaiser said. For example, even in areas where there are storm sirens, they are not useful for those already inside their homes, including Glaiser’s in-laws who live in Georgetown. “They live about a block away from one of the tornado sirens, and

ernments, or CAPCOG, director of Homeland Security Martin Ritchey said his agency operates a regional notication system that uses telecommunications devices and geolocation to warn those in the area of potential extreme weather events. Automatic alerts, similar to Amber Alerts that inform people of child abductions via their cell phones, also warn those in a given area of extreme weather. “This type of alert is not tied to your address, but to the actual location of a phone. This allows people traveling through a warned area to receive messages along with residents,” Ritchey said. Local jurisdictions, Ritchey said, can activate the CAPCOG alert system at their discretion. However, like outdoor tornado sirens, they require a person to activate them. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data shows Round Rock’s history of tornadoes is sparse—before the March storm, the last tornado to touch down in the city was in 2004, 18 years ago. Glaiser said the infrequency of tornadoes in the city, combined with the fact that they are not eective as a widespread warning, is why the city has not installed sirens. In addition to purchasing weather radios and creating a weather

Create a storm plan with family to designate shelter locations. Practice with family members so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching.

in Round Rock alone, several dozen businesses, roughly 680 homes and numerous vehicles were either dam- aged or completely destroyed by the March tornado that took a northeast- ern path for several miles, causing roughly $32 million in damage. However, Round Rock Fire Chief Shane Glaiser said a siren would not have served as an adequate warning in this case, as the tornado touched down in the city before a warning was even issued by the National Weather Service. “They’re not as eective as one may think,” Glaiser said.

SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICECOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

WEATHER ALERTS The Capital Area Council of Governments provides a tool to issue weather alerts, such as tornado warnings, directly to smartphone users.

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Local phone service providers partner with the CAPCOG to reach those in a geographic area when needed. Local governments can communicate to the CAPCOG that the alert system needs to be used for specic alerts. Residents can sign up to receive emergency and weather alerts directly to their phone at www.warncentraltexas.org.

SOURCE: CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTSCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

preparedness kit, the National Weather Service recommends families create a communication plan. The NWS suggests establishing possible shelter locations and a meet- ing place in case family members are separated during a storm.

Lindsey Topolski, right, and her neighbor worked to clear debris from her home damaged by the March 21 tornado. (Brooke Sjoberg/Community Impact Newspaper)

ROUND ROCK EDITION • MAY 2022