Story Created:
Sep 20, 2011 at 5:23 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Sep 20, 2011 at 5:23 PM EDT
The federal agency that oversees the National Weather Service says warning sirens and notifications went out well ahead of the devastating Joplin tornado. But it says residents didn't respond quickly enough to the sirens warning of the impending twister.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The federal agency that oversees the National Weather Service says warning sirens and notifications went out well ahead of the devastating Joplin tornado. But it says residents didn't respond quickly enough to the sirens warning of the impending twister.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday in a report about communications before and during the May 22 tornado that killed 162 people in the southwest Missouri city that the National Weather Service was well-prepared and "performed in an exemplary manner." The report also said combined efforts from the weather service, emergency management and the public "saved many lives."
But the report said "the vast majority of Joplin residents" didn't respond to the first siren because of an apparent widespread disregard for tornado sirens.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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