The city of Black Rock is enhancing its storm siren system with a $40,000 upgrade after severe weather caused significant damage in the area over the past year, including an EF-3 tornado and straight-line winds.
City Administrator Darlene Schmidt confirmed that the state will contribute $30,000 toward the project. The local community has already raised about $4,000 to help fund the remainder, with the city covering any remaining balance.
The decision to upgrade follows issues with the reliability of the current storm sirens. "After the July 11 storm and last year’s March 13 storm, it’s very obvious that a storm siren signal is just very needed here in the city," Schmidt said.
The more recent July storm brought straight-line winds that snapped trees, exposed power lines, and severely damaged a mobile home and city hall. According to Schmidt, the new system is aimed at giving residents adequate time to seek safety during such emergencies.
"You’d be awakened in time to hopefully get to your basement or to a neighbor’s basement," she said. "That’s all we want is everybody to be safe."
The city announced on its Facebook page that construction on the new system is expected to begin as soon as possible.