Politics & Government

Bolingbrook Explains Lack of Tornado Sirens After June 30 Storm

Officials explain why outdoor warning sirens weren't activated during storms that brought a tornado to nearby Plainfield, Romeoville.

The Village of Bolingbrook issued a response to residents late last week, following a June 30 storm that produced several tornadoes in northern Illinois — including an EF-1 twister that touched down in nearby Romeoville and Plainfield.


Some residents questioned the decision not to activate the village's emergency sirens.

"Members of the Bolingbrook Fire Department are trained in emergency situations and follow a detailed severe weather protocol," the village said in a notice posted to its website.  "Be assured that the Village of Bolingbrook would never put residents in harm’s way without warning."

According to the notice, during the storm, Bolingbrook's on-duty battalion chief was monitoring radio frequencies, along with live Doppler radar maps and several emergency weather channels. The fire department's C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) weather spotters were also activated.

"The decision to not activate the Outdoor Warning Sirens was based on scientific data received from the weather reports that were provided to our Department, as well as the surrounding community’s decision not to activate their sirens (Plainfield and Naperville)," the village said. "Romeoville activated their sirens due to confirmed information received from their weather spotters. Romeoville’s activation was not received in the Bolingbrook Dispatch Center until after the event had passed through their community."

The response also noted that outdoor warning sirens are intended to warn people who are outside to seek shelter.

"It is always a good idea to monitor the radio, television, and have a severe weather radio for your home to advise you of any type of warnings," the village's response continued. 

According to the village, the decision to activate the sirens is at the discretion of on-duty village emergency personnel and is based on considerations including confirmation of a funnel cloud by a trained weather spotter, damaging winds with structural damage and receiving a warning from the National Weather Service.

Read the full response here.

Residents in nearby Plainfield also criticized the decision not to sound the warning sirens. A Plainfield police commander who was on duty at the time of the storms told Patch that weather spotters did not see any indications of rotation, and the damage seen during and after the storms was consistent with straight-line winds, not a tornado. At a July 7 village board meeting, Plaifield Cmdr. Anthony Novak said police have asked the Will County Emergency Management Agency to review Plainfield's storm spotter program, as well as its preparation and response to the June 30 storms.

What do you think? Should Bolingbrook's sirens have been activated?


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