Inexcusable Ontario Warning Sys. Blunder Right Now

[on_wx]

About 20 minutes ago they turned on the tornado sirens in St. Clair Township, ON it caught us completely off guard because the storms are well east of here.

Next, all radio and TV interrupted on the TV it was flashing "TORNADO WARNING!! TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!!" over and over again. And on the radio right now they keep saying "Tornado warning for western Lambton County. The municipal sirens have been activated. Take cover immediately."

There is no tornado warning in effect right now. I don't know where this is coming from, but I believe it's from this memo that was just sent out to much of Southwestern Ontario from Emergency Management Ontario that a 'red alert' is in effect for a tornado.

The tornado warning was for Essex County almost 90km south of here and it ended before this alert was just paged out at 7pm. This is just inexcusable.

THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO HAS ISSUED A "RED ALERT" DUE TO A TORNADO WARNING IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO.
Emergency Situation: Environment Canada has issued a Tornado Warning in an area described as      

Recommended Actions: Emergency Management Ontario recommends that persons in the area described above IMMEDIATELY shelter. Everyone in this area should immediately move indoors, and away from doors and windows, preferably into a basement area if that is possible. Do not pick up family members from schools, daycares and institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes. Plans are in place to protect them. People currently outside this area are advised not to enter this area until further notice. If it is safe to do so, pets and livestock should be removed quickly from outside. Do not call 911 for information about this emergency. For further information please visit the Emergency Management Ontario website at www.ontario.ca\emo

This Red Alert broadcast request will end at 1915hours, unless a further
extension is requested.



Sincerely,
Emergency Management Ontario. 

[on_wx]

I cannot believe this just happened. This is the first event for the new Ontario Public Warning System and they have already screwed it up. But, being Canada, I wouldn't expect everything to go as it should.

They just stopped the TV and radio alerts after 33 minutes for no warning in effect. There is no follow up message right now.

[on_wx]

Okay, so doing some digging right now. Emergency Management Ontario has a tornado warning, or had a tornado warning, issued completely on their own for 3 counties in SW Ontario. They then triggered the emergency alert system and sounded all the tornado sirens. There is no tornado in effect right now. I just tried to call EMO and got put through to an answering machine.

Environment Canada issues the weather warnings, I don't know what EMO is doing issuing their own. I'm so confused right now.

How on earth can this be allowed to happen? Where is the coordination between the weather service and the emergency management agency.

[tmagan]

There was a situation a few years ago where the Los Angeles NWSFO accidentally issued tornado warnings on a clear day.

[Cajun Thunder]

There was a situation a few years ago where the Los Angeles NWSFO accidentally issued tornado warnings on a clear day.

That's happened on more than one occasion...to several other offices. It contributed to very strict guidelines on how to do test messages and drills.

[on_wx]

Sarnia area news has articles now on this

http://www.chok.com/2011/05/no-funnel-clouds-in-ontario/

[Rick G]

I have a similar issue with our local cable TV provider. In the US, cable providers are required to pass along weather alerts.

Any time a tornado warning is issued in the BGM area, our tv's are changed to a red screen with a tornado warning alert. The tornado warning could be for any area within 100 miles. Last time this happened my wife wanted us to run to the basement.