Sedgwick County Had Siren Silent Spots

Sedgwick County officials acknowledge that some residents living in rural areas likely did not hear sirens going off before an EF-3 tornado roared through parts of the Kansas county April 29th.

While much of the attention after the storm focused on heavily populated Andover, rural areas close to the city and in Butler County also sustained significant damage from a tornado that was on the ground for nearly 13 miles.

Some residents there say they did not hear sirens before the tornado hit.

Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Julie Stimson stressed that the sirens were never intended to warn people inside their home or other structures.

Stimson and Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell said residents should rely on a combination of sirens, weather radios, alerts on cellphones, and local media reports for tornado warnings.