Residents and visitors at Lake Perry have an additional way to receive warning when severe weather or other emergencies threaten the area, thanks to the installation of a new outdoor emergency warning siren coordinated by Perry County Emergency Management.
The project was authorized under the direction of the Perry County Commission and coordinated by Perry County Emergency Management Director Patrick Naeger, with funding provided through a grant program funded by FEMA and facilitated through the State of Missouri Emergency Management Agency and comes in at cost of just under $40,000.
Lake Perry was selected for the new siren because of its unique combination of population density, seasonal growth and outdoor recreational activities that often occur during the height of severe storm and tornado outbreaks in spring and summer months. Outside of the City of Perryville, Lake Perry has the highest concentration of households in Perry County, with a population that more than doubles during the summer months as residents of the gated community welcome family and guests to enjoy boating, swimming, fishing and other activities at the lake.
When severe weather develops, it’s a high probability that the people of Lake Perry are on the water or boat dock, at the beach or participating in other outdoor activities. In those situations, a cell phone may not be nearby or; due to the remote location of the community, have limited cellular service which may delay text messages or weather alerts from reaching the intended audience.
The new siren adds another layer of protection by providing an audible warning that can quickly alert those who are outdoors to seek additional information and, when necessary, take shelter. The program that runs the siren software has a geo-fence map built into it with a 5- mile radius. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning within that radius, the siren is automatically triggered. The siren can also be activated manually through a desktop application or mobile app. Like the sirens located in the other parts of Perry County and the City of Perryville, it will be tested monthly on the first Monday of every month at 10 a.m., unless there is a chance of inclement weather that day because the test could cause unnecessary alarm and confusion for communities.
Naeger said the addition of the siren required an agreement between Perry County Emergency Management and the Lake Perry Board of Trustees.
“We have a partnership with the Lake Perry where they committed to incurring the ongoing cost of electricity that powers the siren and charges the backup battery pack, as well as the annual service fee for the subscription required for communication with the siren,” Naeger said.
Kathy Hayden, President of the Lake Perry Board of Trustees, said the siren is a welcome addition to the community, especially given the large number of residents and guests who spend time outdoors during the busy summer months.
“I am so excited about Lake Perry being the recipient of a tornado siren,” Hayden said. “As President of our association, I worry about our lot owners because our weather can be very different than Perryville even though we are only about 15 miles away We have a lot of people who camp and who are out in boats on the water on weekends and they need time to make it to indoors, and I believe the siren will give us a little more time to take shelter.”
Hayden said she’s been a certified weather watcher for some time.
“I took a class with the National Weather Service and became a spotter because I felt like we were out here like a bunch of sitting ducks, and I was grasping at straws to find a way to protect our lot owners. Being classified as a spotter, I get warnings when storms are predicted directly from Paducah. I had conversations with Commissioner Jay Wengert about the availability of sirens for us, and he told me about the work being done on getting sirens in the county, and that he believed Lake Perry would be a great place for one. I was so excited when Pat Naeger contacted me to say he was surveying Lake Perry and would be working on applying for the grant. Pat has been great to work with, and we greatly appreciate all the time and effort he spent making this happen for Lake Perry.”
While the siren is located within the private property of Lake Perry, its reach extends beyond the gates with a warning that can be heard in portions of the surrounding countryside, providing an added benefit to rural residents in western Perry County. The siren is meant to be heard by those outdoors and has a range of 6,500 feet and is only intended to notify people outside that there is a threat. Those indoors are reminded to have more than one way of hearing severe weather warning utilizing television, weather radio, smartphone or other technology to stay alert to concerning conditions.
“The goal is not to replace other forms of emergency notification, but to give residents as many ways as possible to know when danger is approaching,” Naeger said. “Perry County Emergency Management encourages residents to use multiple sources for emergency information.”
For Naeger, the Lake Perry siren is part of a larger effort to improve outdoor emergency warning coverage across Perry County. As grant opportunities and local funds become available, he plans to continue working toward the installation of additional sirens in other areas of the county where they can provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of citizens.
“We will continue to look at grant opportunities,” Naeger said. “And site selection for the next siren will be based on population density the 6,500 feet will best cover.”