Centerton Seeks Storm Sirens

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

— Citizens have asked for storm sirens, and the city is gearing up to give them three.

Requests for the sirens started coming in after a March 2006 tornado that brushed Northwest Arkansas causing damage in and around Bentonville. At that time, sirens were too expensive for the city to buy, Centerton Mayor Bill Edwards said.

The tornado touched down near Interstate 540 and Arkansas 62 just southwest of Bentonville, had a path length of 5 miles, a maximum width of 250 yards and was rated an F-2 based on the damage it caused, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla.

Instead of sirens, the city bought 3,000 weather radios to give to residents, and there are still about 100 left, Edwards said. No more will be bought when they’re gone.

With a $50,000 grant recently given by state Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, Centerton wants to buy three storm sirens that would be installed early next year, city officials said.

The sirens, which “would cover the whole city,” would cost about $62,000. The remaining $12,000 would come from the city’s general fund, Edwards said.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the sirens at its Jan. 14 meeting. If approved, the sirens could be installed by the beginning of March, Edwards said.

“That’ll be great because they’ll be in before the storm season this year,” he said.

Council member Tommy Laird said the multiple severe storms the region has experienced since the 2006 tornado has reaffirmed residents’ concerns about weather and having storm sirens in Centerton.

He said the majority of people he’s spoken with about the sirens have been in favor for them. Only one or two people voiced opposition to them, mostly because of their location.

“People don’t want them right next door,” Laird said.

Some Centerton residents may be able to hear some of Bentonville’s storms sirens when they go off, like the one at Greenhouse Road and Arkansas 12 or at Elm Tree Road and Arkansas 72 West, Bentonville Fire Chief Brent Boydston said.

Bentonville has 16 sirens for its 35,000-plus residents. It added some and upgraded what it had after the 2006 tornado, he said.

Storm sirens are mainly for people who are outdoors, Boydston said. Even with sirens, people still have the responsibility to be aware of weather conditions, he said.

Boydston and Edwards recommended residents sign up for BC Alert, a public alert system for Benton County. It’s free, and sign-up can be done at www.bcalert.com.