Tornado Warnings in Westlake: City Opts for Text Service, Not Sirens

Sirens heard in parts of Westlake the evening of June 12, preceding potentially dangerous storms in the western portion of Cleveland, left residents wondering if the city had sirens, and what type of alert system is used.

“Can you find out why there are no tornado sirens in Westlake?,” Lori Jolliffe asked on the Westlake Patch Facebook page the next day. “Lots of people had no clue about the warning last night.” 

While neighboring Avon and North Olmsted use tornado sirens, which could have been mistaken for Westlake sirens, Westlake does not have sirens in place.

Tornado sirens and weather alerts were issued after 8 p.m. on June 12 in some of the west-side communities. Residents in some cities, including Avon and Avon Lake, were told to take shelter immediately.

Residents took to Westlake Patch’s Facebook page to ask about the city’s tornado warning system.

“Did they give you a reason why we have no sirens / warning system?” Jolliffe asked. ‘The schools use a ‘reverse 911’ type system (Alert Now) - and we get calls from them that are much appreciated. It would be nice if the city could offer a similar service to the community.”

Click to here to sign up for the Westlake Patch Facebook page.

Larry Surber, the assistant director of purchasing/technology for the city of Westlake, said at one point the Westlake considered tornado sirens but found them to be expensive.

“It would cost more than $150,000,” Surber said.

There are other considerations as well. Sirens must be tested once a month, Surber said, which could lead to the possibility that an actual warning is considered a test.

He also said a reverse 9-1-1 system like CodeRED was considered, but it was also expensive, since cities are required to pay for the system even if it’s not being used.

CodeRED, used by surrounding cities including Avon and Avon Lake, sends out an automated telephone call, generally from the police or fire department, advising of severe weather conditions, closed roads, flooding, etc. to cell phones and land lines.

CodeRED is an opt-in service, so residents will only receive a call if they sign up a particular telephone number.

Instead, Westlake uses the text-based Nixle system, which alerts those signed up of impending weather. In the past year, Nixle alerts have been sent “advisories” for weather, a rubbish cancellation, a change in date for trick-or-treat, Walter Road’s closure and re-opening and one "alert" for a missing girl. 

Click here to sign up for Nixle (mobile phone only) or text your Zip code to 888777 for mobile alerts.

Westlake School uses a system similar to CodeRED, Alert Now, that provides an automated telephone message when school is canceled.

Alerts can be issued by a number of people in the city, including Surber and members of the police and fire departments.

The Nixle alert was deemed insufficient by resident Amy Havelka.

“I'm signed up with Nixle but all I received was a text around 5:30 pm warning of potential bad weather coming. Would like to see a better city wide warning system,” Amy Havelka said on Westlake’s Facebook page.

That message, sent at 5:59 p.m. was a repeated advisory from the National Weather Service notifying of the risk of severe storms Wednesday evening through Thursday morning. 

The National Weather Service began issuing tornado warnings later in the evening, including several televised warnings that a storm was expected to hit nearby Avon Lake “head on.”  That storm remained, for the most part, over Lake Erie and resulted in no tornadoes.

Both Avon and Avon Lake used the CodeRED system to alert residents of the potential for a tornado.  

Surber said those with land lines only can consider a weather-alert radio, noting that there were radios available that automatically turned on if a severe weather alert is being issued.