The City of Oxford was hit by two massive storms in a matter of days, one hitting at around 8 p.m. Sunday, March 30, and the other around 11 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.
Lightning struck so close to Miami University’s campus that buildings shook. Pedestrians of the city brave enough to take on the harsh weather sprinted from their cars to their homes/destinations to avoid getting poured on. Those still in their homes were told to take immediate shelter.
Trees toppled, homes and phone lines suffered damage, and power went out across southwest Ohio.
Because of storms like this, it is up to the Butler County Emergency Management Agency to keep the public informed and up-to-date on sightings of the funnels, when the storms are set to begin and what to do in the event of these severe weather conditions.
“The warnings that we receive are received from the National Weather Service and only through official channels,” said Jim Bolen, director of the Butler County EMA. “Additionally, we are in direct communication with the National Weather Service through a variety of methods.”
According to WLWT news, funnel clouds were spotted all around the Cincinnati area, including in Brown, Highland and Clinton counties. Two were also seen in Butler County, with both reaching speeds up to 85 miles per hour according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The EMA has a protocol for responding to storms like these, including how they receive warnings.
Following the validation of the storm, it is then time to inform the public.
“Depending on the nature of the warning, the information may be shared with stakeholders, shared on social media or presented in a weather briefing that we develop internally based on information from the NWS and other services,” Bolen said. “Tornado Warnings are handled by the communications centers directly and are shared using the Outdoor Warning Sirens.”
These sirens are extremely crucial in ensuring the safety of the general population, according to administrator Greg Brooks.
“Outdoor Warning Sirens are activated by the communications centers when a Tornado Warning is received,” Brooks said. “All outdoor warning sirens in the county are activated when any portion of Butler County is placed under a Tornado Warning.”
However, the EMA still has concerns, especially with the public’s response to these warnings.
“We are always concerned about the public’s response to any warning or information that we share,” Brooks said. “My team and I work hard to ensure that we are effectively communicating risk in a way that drives our residents to take action. Additionally, we worry about people becoming numb to the warnings that we share or the hazards of over-warning people.”
“We also want our residents to remain weather aware and to take weather safety seriously by using trusted weather apps, listening to local media, and checking the information available from the National Weather Service.”
