Lubbock Tornado Sirens Are *Yawn* in the News Again

I guess we're going to beat a dead horse annually in Lubbock.

There's another push to apply decades-old technology to a now problem. Evidently, those old-timers who didn't follow the gold rush to Cali-forn-i-a want to put horns on sticks to let you know when there's a tornado warning.

Well, Cleetus, have a bite of that hardtack and sit a spell while I tell you the tale of magical technology.

We all have phones.

The end.

Okay, we'll go deeper. Everyone, including the homeless guy on the corner, has a phone. We also have emergency broadcast systems. We also have this thing called an Amber Alert. Now, if you've ever heard an Amber Alert on your phone, you know that will get your attention so quick that you just may make puddin' in your pants.

(As an aside, if Amber Alerts are good enough for missing kids, it should be good enough for bad weather, or are we going to blow the tornado horns when there's an Amber Alert? Or what about a Silver Alert? Or what about a snack attack?)

Probably the worst thing about tornado sirens is they have to be tested, leading to desensitization, meaning you quit paying attention to them. No city wants to be sued because they didn't fire off the sirens either, so you could expect a lot of tests and false alarms.

My gut tells me that this is all a ploy by those people who want to lease their towers to host the city's sirens. That's a pretty good payday, getting payments forever for putting a horn on a stick that's already there. Other than that, I see no good reason why this is even discussed year after year.

Phone alerts work as well as anything else. Just promote the apps and move on.

Remnants of the 1970 Lubbock Tornado