By Staff
Three tornado warning devices will alert more than 51,000 residents
By Thomas Tingle
Record Managing Editor
Three tornado-warning sirens have been installed in the Harvest/Monrovia area – bringing the total number of sirens in District 4 up to 16 and putting more than 51,000 residents within range of the siren's blast.
District 4 Commissioner Dale Strong said the three tornado warning sirens have been installed at the intersection of Capshaw Road and Wall Triana Highway, immediately north of the Harvest House Restaurant on Wall Triana Highway and off Indian Creek Road.
"When I came on board as a commissioner in 1996, there were three tornado warning sirens in District 4 covering a little more than 630 residents," Strong said. "Now, with the installation of these three new sirens, we have 16 tornado warning sirens in District 4 and I am continuing to seek funding to have more sirens installed in the district as soon as it's possible to do so."
Strong noted that there are more than 51,000 residents in District 4 which begins at the Tennessee River in the city of Triana, a portion of the western edge of the city of Madison, a portion of northwest Huntsville and a large portion of northwest Madison County to the Alabama/Tennessee state line.
"As fast as the county is growing, we will need additional tornado warning sirens installed. At the beginning of my term, I sponsored a golf tournament strictly for the purpose of raising funds for the installation of tornado warning sirens and we raised more than $159,000. That, along with state and federal funding has helped us in getting the new sirens set up."
Strong said the installation of the sirens is based on the more densely populated areas of the county. The Harvest/Monrovia and Toney areas have experienced significant growth during the past six years.