Pretty Much Everyone Agrees That Lubbock’s Tornado Sirens Suck
Lubbock's tornado sirens are being dragged hard online.
My biggest concern with the Lubbock tornado sirens is that they would be loud and obnoxious. Apparently, that's not the case. For sirens that are supposed to cover the city, most folks online say they never heard them. We certainly didn't hear anything at 82nd and Quaker, mostly because we weren't really listening for them. Then again, isn't the point of these things to get your attention when you're not really listening for them?
I'm not sure where the call for those speakers started, but it seemed like for the while there was a big media push by a local TV station. I can't really fathom why they thought this was such a great idea. We all have smartphones. The homeless have smartphones. If smartphones are good enough for Amber Alerts, they can certainly protect us in the case of severe weather.
Apparently, the sirens are supposed to only reach your ears if you're outside and not really if you are inside (seriously). I can't speak to this other than to say if it's tornado weather, why the hell would you be outside? Wouldn't the sounds of thunder and wind cover up the sirens?
My guess is that these sirens were just a foot in the door to sell us "new and upgraded" sirens sometime in the future. In the meantime, we'll pay for tests, upkeep and more for a system that many in Lubbock say just doesn't work.