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Jul 23, 2009 9:44 pm US/Central
No Warning: Small MN Town Has No Tornado Siren
(WCCO)
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Years ago, employees at the Trophy House, a restaurant across the street from the siren, used to be able to flip a switch under the bar. (File)
CBS
It has been a relatively quiet summer for storms in Minnesota. It's actually been too quiet in one Dakota County town.
Last year, violent winds tore apart some structures in New Trier, but the town's only tornado siren never went off. More than a year later, it's still not working.
It clicks quietly inside its building when thunderstorms and lightning are overhead.
Years ago, employees at the Trophy House, a restaurant across the street from the siren, used to be able to flip a switch under the bar.
"You'd look out the window," said Linda Nelson, Trophy House's owner. "The wind would come up and so we would just flip it on."
Two and half years ago, New Trier upgraded their system to connect to Dakota County's automatic one. It cost $8,000. It stopped sounding off after a year, which makes some residents in this town with a population of 116 a little nervous.
"I'm concerned. It's a small town, we're out in the middle of nowhere, so emergency services take a long time to get to us," said resident Joshua Guertz.
The Dakota Communications Center said the signal to the siren is working, so the problem is on the siren's end.
Nelcom Corporation, the company that runs the siren, said its technicians have tried a half dozen times to fix the siren, but the door to the shed has always been locked.
Mayor Allen Fliegel said Nelcom doesn't give him enough advance warning to open the shed's door.
"I just want it fixed," said Guertz, who is still repairing the side of his home from wind damage last year. "We're a small community and we get lost in the shuffle."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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