Only three towns in Cape Girardeau County have sirens that signal when tornadoes have been sighted so residents can seek shelter. Commissioner Paul Koeper would like to change that.

Paul Koeper

Koeper formed a relationship with Jasper County Commissioner Darieus Adams, former mayor of Joplin, Mo., through state commissioners' functions. After the May 22 tornado that swept through Joplin and killed 161 people, Koeper reached out to Adams to offer assistance, and Coroner John Clifton and Emergency Management director Richard Knaup traveled across the state to help.

In the aftermath, Koeper asked Adams how well the warning sirens worked to protect residents and said he was told that, overall, they were "very helpful."

A July study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Joplin disaster found that there was confusion among some residents about what level of threat the sirens were communicating and some ignored alarms until the last minute while attempting to gather more information from the media. However, the majority took appropriate shelter.

"Even if this action was taken in the last available seconds, in many cases it was a lifesaving measure," the study reported.

NOAA concluded that one of the best practices communities could use to save lives is providing "a non-routine warning mechanism that prompts people to take immediate lifesaving action in extreme events like strong to violent tornadoes."

Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Allenville have systems that sound alarms in the case of weather emergencies. Koeper has been investigating options for funding about 20 more systems, which range in cost from $20,000 to $30,000 each. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is one possible source, but it requires that funds be matched locally.

When Gov. Jay Nixon visited the Oak Ridge School District on Thursday to survey storm damage from the day before, Koeper approached him about the need for more warning systems. Koeper said he was told that "mitigation funds" are available for that purpose and that he hopes, with other funding, at least 75 percent of the cost could be covered. Even if 100 percent of the funding were raised for the initial equipment through grants and county emergency management funds, local communities would have to be responsible for maintenance and monthly charges, such as phone and electricity services.

Oak Ridge Mayor Don England said one centralized warning system would serve all the inhabitants of the half-mile-wide community. England said Oak Ridge residents have looked into the matter several times but have found the equipment too expensive. He believes that they would be "more than happy to take care of maintenance and monthly costs" if the initial purchase price could be defrayed.

"I would truly love to see a warning system acquired," England said. "It would be a great step forward for Oak Ridge."

Koeper and Knaup plan to attend an emergency management seminar the first week of April where Koeper expects to learn more details about the various systems and associated costs. He intends to look at all the possibilities for expanding warning systems throughout the county that could save lives.

"Houses can be replaced," Koeper said, "but lives can't."

salderman@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

Oak Ridge, MO

Jackson, MO

Cape Girardeau, MO

Allenville, MO

Joplin, MO