Springfield, Illinois (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – In a news release Monday from the City of Springfield, officials say the June 10th storm did not meet established criteria for activation of Springfield’s outdoor warning siren system.

The City completed and after-action review of the storm, emergency notifications, and outdoor warning siren activation procedures.

Fire Chief Nick Zummo said, “Based on the information available to emergency management personnel at the time, there were no radar-indicated tornadoes, trained weather spotter reports, or other indicators within Springfield that met activation criteria for the city’s siren system”.

A tornado warning was issued for Athens at 10:58pm and for Elkhart at 11:12pm. Those warnings did not include the City of Springfield.

The National Weather Service determined it was an EF-1 tornado that did heavy damage to the Animal Protective League facilities and the Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport.

The Springfield Fire Department manages the city’s outdoor warning system. Sirens are activated under one or more of the following conditions:

  • Sustained winds of 70 mph or greater
  • Golf ball-sized hail or larger
  • A radar-indicated tornado affective Springfield
  • Confirmation of a tornado by a trained weather spotter

Mayor Misty Busher also said in the news release she is, “committed to reviewing our processes, working with our public safety partners, and identifying opportunities to strengthen our preparedness and communication efforts”.