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their siren systems," Bailey said. "The public is not going to allow you to remove them, so I think your best course of action is to make them as modern and as reliable as possible. So communities that are investing and spending money in those sorts of things is actually a good thing, and they're doing their part."
• Sirens are anything but foolproof.
• Shortly after a deadly tornado earlier this spring in Woodward, Okla., officials said a tower responsible for sending a repeating signal to the

community's sirens was knocked offline by lightning. Residents reported hearing mangled sirens before the community was struck by a tornado. The town's police chief said it seemed the "hand of God" helped prevent further destruction given the crippled sirens and the twister's nighttime arrival.
• During the same weekend outbreak, the police chief in Creston, Iowa, said he first learned of the weather danger after receiving a call from a local hospital where the storm already had damaged its roof and blown out windows.
• Despite the limitations, many still expect to hear a warning from sirens when ominous clouds turn dangerous.
• Demands from residents in one Wisconsin community prompted a Milwaukee suburb to move forward with plans for a $100,000 upgrade. Officials briefly had considered whether the required changes were worth the expense given media coverage of weather and new methods for communicating warnings.
• Brookfield, Wis., Mayor Steve Ponto said it was clear many residents believe sirens are necessary for safety.

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