[StBernard] storm warnings

[Westley Annis]

As I read the TP today it was no secret to the weather service that it was
highly likely that southeast LA would experience a tornado while we all
slept Tues. morning. I do remember going to bed Monday night with the
weather reports on the news saying we'd have severe weather. However, the TP
article said that after midnight the weather service was certain it would
happen and started with warnings for the parishes west of Orleans, and then
added St. Bernard. 

So my question is this. In St. Charles Parish they have a siren system that
warns residents of danger from their chemical plants and it is also used to
warn of a tornado. That siren went off for that parish and it was enough to
awaken people.

Prior to Katrina, we had an alert call system for a warning of any incident
at our plants. Does anyone know if that system is up and running? Has it
been tested? If not, who is responsible and why not? We supposedly have
25,000 people sleeping here now. I doubt any of us knew that our parish was
definitely under a tornado warning at 3am while we slept, unless you keep a
weather radio on or the TV or a relative from St. Charles Parish calls you.

If for some reason that phone call alert system can't function now, why not
a siren system? We are still at risk of a chemical release, Katrina didn't
change that. Furthermore, it could be used for a tornado warning as well.

I realize our director of homeland security is our parish president, and I
will send this message to him and the council via Westley's site. However,
if anyone can comment about the current state of the parish alert system,
please do.

Deborah Keller