Storm sirens

Cape Girardeau officials again are examining the possibility of using tornado sirens that would help warn the public of impending danger.

The sirens likely would be in city parks, where park users aren't immediately able to tune to a television weather report or radio for information.

In the past, the city has only considered an all-or-nothing approach to installing storm-warning systems. Things have changed.

The city is considering a plan that would connect sirens in the parks with Southeast Missouri State University's outdoor warning system. That connection would eliminate the city's need to buy its own command center equipment to run the system.

Though the city cannot afford to blanket the community with warning sirens, it is possible that grant funding could pay for siren installation at Capaha and Shawnee parks, and perhaps Arena Park.

And while the sirens would be useful to people outdoors in the parks, they also could help warn people in surrounding neighborhoods.

Storm sirens in city parks would help protect people who have no other means of receiving storm warnings. And the city shouldn't have to duplicate an operating system if one already exists at the university.