TORNADO WARNINGS

Tornadoes strike with little warning, cutting a path of destruction, devastation and death. But even a little warning can save lives. Just a few minutes of notice allows time enough for potential victims to take cover from flying debris and high winds.

Cape Girardeau County is the only Southeast Missouri county without a tornado warning system. There are nearly 90 cities in 15 Southeast Missouri counties with tornado siren warning system.

This is the most populated county in the region, and a tornado could do more damage here than anywhere else. County officials along with leaders in Cape Girardeau and Jackson should explore ways to warn residents about severe weather.

Warnings on television and radio are not enough. When bad storms strike, electricity can go out. At the very minimum, officials should consider alerting the public with emergency vehicle sirens from fire trucks and police cars as a way to notify the public when it is time to take cover. In Cape Girardeau, the fire stations are centrally located. Granted, not all people would be able to hear the sirens, but it would provide some notification at a minimal cost.

Of course much better storm warning systems are available if funds can be found. It could be a siren system or something much more sophisticated with today's booming technology.

In some towns, police departments have access to cable-television systems. When a tornado warning is issued, an alert to take cover is issued on all cable channels simultaneously. That's another possibility.

Cape Girardeau did experiment with tornado warning system in 1980 by installing a dozen sirens at a cost of $110,000. The sirens were removed shortly thereafter when tests showed the sirens couldn't be heard in some areas of town due the city's hilly terrain. It is a shame that city leaders threw up their hands over the failed warning system and didn't get their $110,000 money worth. This is too important an issue to simply give up or ignore.

The cost-benefit ratio is often discussed when it comes to tornado warning systems. Expensive systems may be used rarely. When Perryville activated its tornado warning system April 19, it marked the first time in at least 13 years that the sirens were used. But at least one family is happy they were. David Steinbecker heard the warning systems and took cover under the basement steps. Minutes later, a tornado roared across Perryville, blowing the roof of his house. How can a price tag be put on even one human life?

Two of Cape Girardeau's worst natural disasters were tornadoes. One man was killed on Nov. 27, 1850, when a tornado ripped through town. The storm's path was half mile wide and 25 miles long. On May 21, 1949, a storm struck the city at 6:56 p.m., killing 21 people, hospitalizing 72, and injuring hundreds of others.

If a deadly tornado were to strike Cape Girardeau or the county, warning sirens probably would be erected soon after. But why should the county wait for senseless deaths? Now is the time to revisit tornado warning systems in Cape Girardeau.