HURON COUNTY — In conjunction with Michigan Severe Weather Awareness Week April 10-16, Huron County will conduct its annual spring tornado drill beginning at 1:30 p.m. April 13.
The drill also runs along with Michigan’s statewide tornado drill that same day, which tests warning systems across the state for weather alerts.
While tornadoes can occur any time of the year, they are especially common during the late spring and early summer months. As one of nature’s most violent storms, they can devastate homes and property in just seconds.
On average, Michigan has 15 tornadoes a year. In 2015, there were 14 tornadoes across the state, including two in Huron County.
On Aug. 2, a tornado touched down in Owendale about a quarter mile west of the Sebewaing Road and Shebeon Road intersection, causing damage to several structures in town. On Nov. 6, another tornado hit Bad Axe on M-53 at Barrie Road, also causing some damage.
“It was an interesting year all the way around,” said Randy Miller, Huron County Emergency Services director. “We don’t usually see a tornado, period, let alone two in one year and one in November. That’s just not where it comes from.”
The two tornadoes last year upped the county’s total to 15 since 1950.
The average lead time for tornadoes to develop is 10 to 15 minutes, which means citizens need to be ready to react quickly when a warning is issued. However, the two that struck Huron County in 2015 came and went so quickly, tornado sirens never went off. Miller said in both instances, the tornadoes were formed, on the ground and gone in less than five minutes.
“That wasn’t enough time for the National Weather Service to even identify them,” Miller said. “It was so fast.”
Added Miller: “The weather service will tell you — it’s Mother Nature — you can’t always predict it and you can’t always get a good read by looking at technology to tell you what Mother Nature wants to do with things.”
Between the twisters and straight line winds during the storms, plenty of damage occurred across the county. However, no injuries were reported.
In its continued efforts to increase public safety, Miller said Huron Central Dispatch purchased a program where they can now make mass notifications to government entities and schools much quicker than they have in the past. They are now able to reach 250 phones within two minutes, where the same procedure used to take around 20 minutes.
“As we can afford it and as we can find systems that work better and more efficiently for the county, that’s what we’re trying to get into,” Miller said.
For the April 13 drill, the county’s tornado siren system and the 911 phone weather alert system will be tested. During the process, sirens will be going off across the county and phone weather alerts will go out to schools, hospitals, care centers, parks, government offices and first responder agencies.
Miller said a tornado warning siren will consist of a two-minute blast and is the signal that tells people to take immediate shelter. He added that the county does not issue all-clear alerts, so people must monitor local media sources or NWS radio for updated weather information and storm locations.
For questions or more information, contact Miller at 989-269-6435 or email millerr@co.huron.mi.us.
