Litchfield Township shutting down its tornado sirens

LITCHFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) – Tornado sirens, which have been used to alert residents in Medina County’s Litchfield Township about approaching dangerous weather conditions for decades, will be shut down at the end of August.

“It wasn’t a decision made lightly. We had a lot of discussion about it and for months we’ve been talking about it,” Litchfield Township Trustee Michael Pope said.

Township trustees concluded that the sirens, which were activated by the Medina County Sheriff’s Office after receiving tornado warnings from the National Weather Service, were in some areas only heard outdoors and were not always reliable.

“We’ve had storms come through and by the time they get notified, the storm is already past us and then they go off, so it’s not the best system,” said Pope.

A major factor in the decision to silence the tornado sirens was the cost, which included $4,000 a year to maintain and inspect the sirens and more than $10,000 a year to power the alert system with electricity.

“We’re not the federal government, we can’t just print that money, and you know, we have to work within a budget and it’s a very small budget,” Pope said.

In addition, three of the seven tornado sirens in Litchfield Township need to be replaced and the cost of each new siren is $30,000.

“With the newer technology nowadays, everybody has a cell phone in their pocket usually with the weather apps on them,” said Pope.

Trustees say by relying on their smart phones or buying a weather radio and/or signing up for emergency alerts from Medina County, residents will be better informed about an approaching tornado.

“I think the phone or a radio in the house, you know, it’s gives you that instantaneous alert, and to tell you to take cover,” said Pope.

You can sign up for alerts form the Medina County Emergency Management Agency here.

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