Critical repairs needed to storm sirens in Crawford County before tornado season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In the heart of Crawford County, Indiana, where rolling hills meet small-town resilience, a network of twelve storm sirens stands as a first line of defense against nature’s fury. But not all of them are operational.

Two of these sirens have fallen silent, leaving gaps in the county’s emergency warning system. The siren behind the local volunteer fire department suffered storm damage last year, and now its batteries fail to charge. Another, perched atop the Leavenworth water tower, worked flawlessly in 2023 but is now out of service indefinitely.

For former resident like Dwight Breeden, a Crawford County native who now calls Chicago home, the sirens have proven invaluable. Every spring, he and his wife make their pilgrimage back to Indiana, a tradition that nearly turned tragic on April 2 of last year. At 8:15 a.m., just as they settled into their home, the unthinkable happened—a tornado.

“The morning of it, we got notification. Texts were coming through. My wife’s phone was going off, mine was going off. Then we heard the siren—it gave us great warning, and we were able to take shelter in the basement,” Breeden recalled.

That same siren, the one atop the Leavenworth water tower, is now out of commission.

Crawford County is a quiet place most of the year, but with its many campgrounds and tourist attractions, the population can more than double during peak seasons. This makes a functional emergency alert system even more crucial. Aaron Bye, the county’s Emergency Management Director, first noticed the failing sirens a month ago.

“They failed the state tornado test drill on March 11th,” Bye explained.

In response, the county secured a grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, funding the installation of four new sirens in key areas—locations chosen specifically for their high visitor traffic. The decision came after a tragic reminder of the importance of early warnings: in 2023, a tornado claimed two lives at McCormick’s Creek State Park, a few counties away.

“That was part of our reasoning for where we placed the new sirens last year,” Bye said.

The second non-functioning siren, located near the interstate behind the volunteer fire department, was originally damaged by a storm last year.

“It actually got taken out. It had to be sent off and repaired,” Bye said.

Assuming it was back in working order, he was surprised when the statewide siren test revealed another problem—its batteries were failing. The company responsible for its installation has been scheduled to make repairs on March 21.

As storm season looms once again, residents of Crawford County remain hopeful that the sirens will be restored before the next emergency. Until then, they rely on text alerts, weather apps, and, when possible, the kindness of neighbors who still look out for one another in times of crisis.

Critical repairs needed to storm sirens in Crawford County before tornado season