KEY TAKEAWAYS:   Advocates and elected officials are urging Louisiana to install a statewide emergency siren system after 14 tornadoes struck the New Orleans area.   Supporters say phone alerts alone are insufficient, citing delayed notifications, limited access to technology and accessibili ty concerns.   Officials are exploring funding options, with New Orleans council members planning discussions with emergency management agencies and the City Council.   The coalition also wants expanded tornado safety education, noting Louisiana faces increasing tornado risks as severe weather patterns shift east.   New Orleans officials joined a coalition of community-based organizations to call for the installation of emergency siren systems across the state weeks after 14 tornadoes touched down in the greater New Orleans area from Tropical Storm Arthur. The coalition, Louisiana Grassroots United, also asked for more tornado education as research suggests Tornado Alley — historically stretching across the Great Plains region — has shifted farther eastward than it has historically to now include Louisiana. The advocates and elected officials said while residents understand hurricanes, there’s a gap in knowledge when it comes to tornado safety. “ At least a hurricane, you kinda have a heads up that it’s on the way and it may be powerful, but a tornado is something altogether different,” said Debra Campbell, president of A Community Voice, a statewide grassroots nonprofit based in New Orleans. Campbell and A Community Voice have pushed for siren systems in southeast Louisiana, alongside other groups, since 2022 to alert residents of emergencies, from tornadoes to flash flooding to chemical releases. New Orleans Councilmember-at-large Matthew Willard was part of the task force that first recommended sirens to the state about four years ago, when he served in the state house. During Wednesday’s (July 15) news conference, Willard said alerts sent through phones are limited in reach and efficacy. He lived near the trail of one of the tornadoes that touched down on June 23, and he said he didn’t receive an emergency notification until 15 to 20 minutes after the tornado passed. “ I heard it, and it was very scary, and I got the alert on my phone a few minutes later. So we have to do more,” Willard said. Campbell said some people lack access to technology, don’t sign up for alerts or live with disabilities that make it harder to use such technology. She believed sirens would reach residents more effectively. Willard said he plans to ask the local and state Offices of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to collaborate to find money for a siren system in New Orleans once they receive a cost estimate. In 2025, Verite News found that some companies charge $30,000 to $50,000 per siren. Councilmember Aimee McCarron, who chairs the council’s Climate and Sustainability Committee, said she will bring the discussion to her committee and explore funding options as well. “ As climate changes, the weather patterns get more disruptive, leaving us all vulnerable to new threats,” said McCarron. “Our emergency preparedness plans should reflect this reality.” The links between tornadoes and climate change are still being studied, but evidence suggests there could be the potential for more tornadoes outside of the traditional season for severe weather. Regardless of the cause, the data suggests the number of large tornado outbreaks and tornadoes per day have increased since 1950. Many of the tornadoes that have occurred in the New Orleans area in recent years have occurred while it’s still dark, making them more likely to be deadly. Campbell called for the city to consider public education campaigns such as inserts in utility bills to teach residents the difference between tornado watches and warnings, as well as where to go in their homes to stay safe. Many New Orleans homes aren’t equipped for tornadoes due to the prevalence of windows and lack of a basement. Advocates in other parishes have spoken to their state and local representatives. Tish Taylor, program manager for the environmental group Concerned Citizens of St. John, said the sirens also could help warn her parish when dangerous flash flooding occurs. “ Every one of our communities should have alerts. It shouldn’t be specific to anyone when we are all inundated with this extreme weather. And it’s not gonna stop, it’s only gonna get worse,” Taylor said at the news conference. ...read more read less