CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Many people in Arkansas and Alabama had some warning of the impending tornadoes, thanks to tornado warning sirens.
In North Carolina there are few, if any, warning sirens.
The State Crime Control and Public Safety Office says that over the years most communities have decided that there are too few tornadoes to warrant the cost of the sirens.
Spokesperson Patty McQuillan says most cities and towns now urge residents to have weather alert radios that operate on battery power.
In a check around the Charlotte area, we found only Rowan County has a full system of warning sirens.
The head of the Rowan Emergency Management Department, Frank Tomison said there are about 20 sirens around the county.
He said the sirens were originally used to call volunteer firefighters. Tomison said 12 years ago the county converted the sirens so they could also be used to warn of tornadoes.
Burke County has a few old sirens at some fire stations, but they are not used often.
Charlotte Fire Department Captain Rob Brisley said the only sirens in the county were those that are around nuclear power plants. Those sirens would be used to warn of an incident at the plants.
Following the recent tornadoes in North Carolina, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin said he thought warning sirens should be mandatory and said he would urge state lawmakers to act.
