Officials say brief tornado hit Riley; siren coverage gaps under review

Russell Stiki, Emergency Services Director and Fire Chief, told the Riley County Commission on June 8 that a short-lived tornado touched down near Riley and that county-owned outdoor warning sirens had two-way communications and were functioning in recent tests while some city-owned sirens had not been upgraded.

"The outdoor warning sirens are just one piece of the puzzle," Stiki said, explaining that sirens are intended to notify people outdoors and typically do not penetrate homes. He said the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma City had assessed tornado risk that day as "less than a 2% chance," and that the event "literally came up out of nowhere." Stiki said the first confirmed warnings came from eyewitness reports and multiple 911 calls, and that dispatchers sounded sirens under local standard operating guidelines when those reports hit simultaneously.

Commissioners and staff discussed why a tornado watch had not been issued before the warning; Stiki said national forecast centers judged the atmospheric setup did not warrant a watch and that the warning followed firsthand sightings. He also said maintenance contractors are checking city-owned sirens that use older technology and lack the county system's two-way communications.

Lori Harrison, Emergency Management Coordinator, told commissioners the county is monitoring rising levels at Tuttle Creek Lake and urged residents not to drive through flooded roadways, underscoring that multiple notification routes (phone alerts, local media, NOAA weather radio) are important because sirens do not reach everyone.

The commission did not take a formal vote on emergency upgrades at the June 8 meeting; staff said they are investigating causes and potential repairs and will report back with recommendations.