Boone County changes outdoor warning system

Boone County emergency management officials said they are testing a new outdoor warning system Tuesday. Officials said the old system caused confusion because all the sirens in the county would sound during the threat of severe weather, no matter where the threat was.

“Citizens, for example, in the central part of Columbia said, ‘Well, the tornado was in the path of going to Jefferson City — maybe just on the outskirt of Boone County. Why did we hear sirens?’ So, we listened to that and kind of looked at the geographical layout of the county and said it would make sense to actually do zones,” said Martina Pounds from Boone County Emergency Management.

Officials have divided Boone County into three zones: north, central and south. With the new system, when county residents hear sirens, it means their zone is in the direct path of a possible tornado. Officials said the zones will help avoid confusion and “siren fatigue.”

“Research has shown that people usually don’t react quickly to outdoor warning signs. They are trying to get confirmation first from friends and family, coworkers and such. So, we really want to stress that now when you hear a siren — it’s very important for you to seek shelter, immediately,” said Pounds.

Boone County officials said the new system cost was minimal. They said the outdoor warning system infrastructure was already in place — it was just a matter of installing the new software. The new emergency warning system will be tested for the first time Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. during the statewide tornado drill.