Inclement Weather/Siren Update (6/4/2020)

Inclement Weather/Siren Update: Chief of Police and Emergency Management Director, James Person, provided the following information: There has been some social media concern about our response to the weather event in the early morning hours of 6/4, and the tornado sirens not being activated. Let me begin by stating Belton was never identified as being in or near the path of a tornado. I was monitoring the weather as it developed throughout the day. At about 9:30pm I communicated with our PD shift commander that it appeared we would have a thunderstorm between 2:00-3:00am. I instructed him to notify me if there was a change, and if BEMA response was needed.

I received no calls of severe weather, or need for a response. I went to bed at 4:00. Our storm was a rain event. Surveying the city for damage about 8:00. I only observed wet streets.

From the Belton Emergency Operations Plan Annex B, Appendix 4(C), “Sirens and other warnings will be sounded when there is a certainty of a tornado headed for or close to Belton.” There was no tornadic activity ever close to Belton. We had on-duty personnel monitoring the weather, they did not believe any further response was warranted.

Email from Robin Tieman Executive Director Cass County Emergency Services Board

On June 4, 2020 Everbridge sent out two tornado warnings for the entire area of Cass County due to an incorrect setting after an upgrade. The tornado warnings were valid warnings for the northeast and the south central areas of Cass County. This setting has been corrected. There were no reported tornadoes in the Belton area. There was a confirmed tornado that touched down in Archie.