SURPRISING STUFF
Walworth County officials are clarifying the activation protocols for weather sirens following the July 3rd storm. Following a destructive and fatal storm, many are wondering why the sirens were not activated to warn of the incoming storm. The sirens will only sound automatically for tornado warnings or destructive thunderstorms with winds of 80 mph or greater. On that day, the sirens did not trigger during the initial 11:53 a.m. warning because winds were forecast at 70 mph, but they activated at 12:28 p.m. once a tornado warning was issued.
At 11:52 a.m., the NWS issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Walworth County. At 11:53 a.m., the NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for all of Walworth County. This warning was issued for 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts and quarter-sized hail observed by trained weather spotters. The severe thunderstorm warning was not issued for a destructive thunderstorm with winds greater than 80 miles per hour and therefore did not activate the outdoor warning sirens. At 12:28 p.m., the NWS issued a tornado warning based on radar rotation for parts of eastern Walworth County. The outdoor warning siren system in Walworth County consists of 66 sites, which are connected to the National Weather Service (NWS). The sirens trigger automatically under only two conditions: a tornado warning or a severe thunderstorm warning with winds of 80 mph or greater.
Three local 911 centers can also manually activate them if the automatic system fails. Sirens are grouped into areas by the municipality that owns the sirens. If one of the two warnings above touches the area boundary in which a group of sirens is located, the system automatically activates all the warning sirens in that area.
The construction on Interchange North has been frustrating for many locals who travel this route regularly.
Lane closures, traffic patterns, and other frustrating changes have been ongoing. The work began late in spring and will continue through most of the summer. The current traffic pattern is expected to stay through most of July. The entire project will go on well into August and hopefully conclude mid to late August. Cook Street from Main Street to Geneva Street is the next project on the list. The reconstruction on Cook, including the alley west of the block, will begin in early September and is expected to take about a month.
If one looks closely at what’s being done, one will observe that the project was not simply one of the replacement of old existing water mains. The road itself is being redone to allow less traffic than it has had before. Curbs are being extended out into what was a second lane through that curve, but when the project is completed, it will be one.
There is no explanation available for this rather significant change, just as was the case several years ago when the local street department decided to change the lane markings in front of Home Depot, Walgreens, and Target. Townline Road has been hazardous and potentially dangerous ever since.
