Community Corner

Storm Sirens Sound as Severe Thunderstorm Blows Through

Village sounds sirens about 8:15 a.m., as the worst of the storm was past.

A severe thunderstorm blasted Downers Grove at about 8 a.m. this morning, but village storm sirens didn't activate until 8:15 a.m., under new guidelines adopted after the June 21 tornado.

"The village activated the outdoor warning system due to the passing severe thunderstorm that exhibited characteristics described in the recently revised siren activation policy," according to the village website.

"These qualities included severe winds in excess of 70 mph that caused damage to trees and power lines. In making the decision to activate the siren, the village relied on information obtained from the National Weather Service, monitoring of radar which indicated that Downers Grove was in the direct path of the storm, and information from public safety officials that observed damage in the field. The severe weather conditions have since passed and village crews are now assessing the damage."

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On Twitter and in telephone calls to Patch, residents reporting at least one uprooted trees and a power outage in the central business district. 

The violent storm blew through the area earlier this morning, lashing trees and delaying Metra trains. However, the sirens were silent until it appeared the worst of the storm had past.

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For some, it was a reminder of the June 21 storm, when sirens didn't sound at all, despite a blanket tornado warning for DuPage County and high winds. It was determined the next day an EF-1 tornado had caused much of the significant tree damage that resulted.

At last week's Village Council meeting, staff members described changes to the siren policy, which previously had required the confirmed sighting of a tornado cloud or a National Weather Service tornado warning that placed Downers Grove in the direct path of the storm.

Facing a backlash from residents who felt the village should have sounded its sirens on June 21, the village updated its policy to also allow for a National Weather Service warning for any area within five miles of Downers Grove.

Activation of the warning under the criterion "shall be made by a designated and trained village official who has determined the village is facing an imminent threat from a tornado or severe winds," according to the revised policy.

"Such a determination shall be made by monitoring all available weather reporting system information, as well as reports received by the Village Operations Center," the policy states.

Officials who are charged with deciding whether to sound the storm sirens are the emergency management coordinator or deputy coordinators, the Village Operations Center manager or supervisor, or the highest-ranking sworn policy officer or fire official on duty at the time of the storm.

This morning's thunderstorm and high winds knocked out power for 78,000 Commonwealth Edison customers in the western suburbs, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The storm rolled through Downers Grove around 8 a.m. Power in the 4700 block of Stonewall Avenue, in the northwest part of town, went down within minutes after the storm began. Patch also received a report that power was out in the industrial/office park west of Belmont Avenue.

On its Web site, Metra was reporting that inbound trains were running between 17 and 36 minutes late.

Is the power out in your neighborhood? Leave a comment below.


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