UNION CITY, MI (WTVB) – The Union City Village Council has approved the purchase of a new outdoor tornado warning siren, a move aimed at bolstering public safety following the devastating EF-3 tornado that struck the area on March 6.
Village officials say that the existing siren was not a dedicated tornado warning system and provided insufficient coverage for the community. The new unit will be mounted at a higher elevation and designed specifically for severe weather alerts, with a dual-trigger system integrated into both Branch and Calhoun County 911 programs to ensure maximum lead time for residents.
In a post on the villages Facebook page Tuesday morning officials say “Our current siren is not a true tornado siren and has limited coverage, This is all about making sure residents have as much warning as possible to take shelter when severe weather approaches.”
This safety upgrade follows Michigan’s earliest recorded EF-3 tornado, which claimed the lives of three Union City residents and injured a dozen more.
The storm, which packed winds of 160 mph and damaged approximately 70 structures along Union Lake, highlighted critical gaps in the region’s alert infrastructure.
While a final location for the new siren is still being determined, officials expect installation to be completed later this year, providing the community with a vital tool for future emergency preparedness.
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