Texas Panhandle Communities: Weather Warning Systems

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  While communities in the Texas Panhandle work to improve severe weather warning systems and equipment, experts say the best plan is your own.  

The Amarillo Globe reports:

• Lubbock is developing a system for tornado warnings.
• Amarillo is working at upgrading and expanding sirens.  
• Hereford upgraded its control system and sirens five years ago.
• Dumas is upgrading sirens with battery back up in the incidence of power loss.
• Canyon has seven sirens inside city limits, tested once a month.

Timing, capacity, availability, and expense make community shelters difficult.    

Kevin Starbuck is the Emergency Manager for Amarillo, Potter, and Randall counties.  He says it is never a good idea to take shelter under an overpass.  “If a tornado passes over, the overpass acts as a vortex and increases the wind speed and debris in the area,” said Starbuck.