Ohio Township Won't Fix Faulty Sirens After Tornado Rips Through Community

On Wednesday (July 6), an EF2 tornado hit Goshen, Ohio, according to WCPO Cincinnati. The tornado was one of, if not the most severe tornados Goshen has seen in the last 10 to 15 years and the township is likely to be without power for days. Today (July 7), Goshen Township Administrator Steve Pegram held a press conference to address the tornado, its damage and what the township's next steps are.

Pegram claimed the township's weather sirens system is outdated and didn't go off before the tornado. Despite this, the township will not be address the weather sirens system in the future, reasoning that warning sirens should not be the primary resource for residents. "The first thing we would tell people is, outdoors warning sirens are just that, they're outdoor warning sirens," Pegram said. "They were designed as very old technology back in the day when really it was to alert people that were playing outside and people that were working outside."

Instead, Pegram suggested that people follow agencies such as the Ohio Emergency Management Agency or county and local police and fire departments for weather alerts on their phone. "The most effective thing is putting the app on your phone so you get the weather alert," Pegram said. "That's how I got alerted, and literally [my phone] went off and 30 seconds later the tornado hit."