Recent severe weather, including the Joplin, Mo., tornado last year, has renewed the public's interest in tornado warning sirens, Cape Girardeau fire chief Rick Ennis told business leaders Friday.

Ennis spoke about the city's weather warning siren program during the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee.

The original concept of an outdoor warning siren was inspired not by severe weather but rather civil defense, Ennis said.

"They were used as air raid warning sirens; it was only later that they were recognized as valuable for weather warnings," Ennis said.

Over the years, however, outdoor warning sirens started to lose popularity as the emphasis shifted to emergency broadcasting systems for radio and television.

"We went from the days when sirens were the end-all to everybody getting away from them, and now everybody wants them," Ennis said.

An earlier study by the city determined it would take 12 sirens to cover the entire city. Currently the city has four, which were placed to cover outdoor venues where large groups of people often gather -- Arena Park, Kiwanis Park, Shawnee Sports Complex and Cape County Park North.

Each was funded by donations, through the city's Adopt a Siren program. The program began in 2005 and had some early success.

"We would like to continue to build out our tornado warning system in the city," Ennis said.

The electric service and a pole for a siren are in place at Mount Auburn Road and William Street. The city hasn't been able to secure funds to purchase the siren.

The estimated cost of each warning siren, including the pole and installation, is $25,000.

Ennis said he's often asked why the city doesn't seek grants to fund more sirens, but until the last couple years, outdoor warning sirens were not eligible for funding in most government grant programs.

Both the city and Cape Girardeau County have applications pending for siren funding, but Ennis compared the chances of receiving those grants to winning the lottery.

The sirens sound only when there is a tornado warning issued and its storm track shown on the radar is headed through the city, Ennis said.

"It's a balance between sounding them too often or sounding them too late," he said.

He doesn't want people to become complacent if the sirens go off too frequently or when there may be dangerous conditions in other parts of the county but no direct danger to the city.

With social media sites, smartphone apps and text alerts, these days there are many ways people can receive severe weather information. The Southeast Missourian sends out automated storm warnings from the National Weather Service via text alert.

But Ennis warned that there is often a lot of false information on social media sites.

"Be sure you are getting your information from a reliable source," he said.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, MO

Arena Park, Cape Girardeau, MO

Kiwanis Park, Cape Girardeau, MO

Shawnee Sports Complex, Cape Girardeau, MO

Cape County Park North, Cape Girardeau, MO

Mount Auburn Road and William Street, Cape Girardeau, MO