by Mollie Rushmeyer
news@thenewsleaders.com
Hearing weather sirens can be a disconcerting sound, especially when it comes without warning.
A fast-moving storm blew its way through the St. Martin and St. Joseph area at about 6 p.m. June 3, but no National Weather Service advisory was given when the sirens sounded to warn people to seek shelter after reports of tornado-like conditions and funnel clouds near Spring Hill Township.
“Around 5 p.m., a storm produced a situation we consider a tornado near the city of St. Martin in Spring Hill Township,” said Erin Hausauer, Stearns County and City of St. Cloud Emergency Management Department manager.
The National Weather Service did not have any indication of the extremity of the weather situation according to their radars and therefore did not issue a warning. Due to the numerous sightings on the ground of funnel clouds, however, and the policies within Hausauer’s department, the decision was made to sound the sirens anyway.
“It’s important to understand this is a very rare occurrence to be in this situation,” she said.
Hausauer said damaged property included three out of four turkey barns on a farm in Spring Hill 32 miles west of St. Joseph; 40 miles west of Sartell; 39 miles west of St. Stephen; 41 miles west of Sauk Rapids and 44 miles west of Rice.
She went on to say, sirens or not: “We are in storm season, and we need to be in appreciation of that. And we need to be aware of our surroundings and seek shelter when necessary.”
Many reports of funnel clouds, just like this one near St. Martin, led to the Stearns County and City of St. Cloud Emergency Management Department sounding the weather sirens despite no National Weather Service weather advisory on June 3.
Damaged turkey barns in Spring Hill, a result of tornado’s high winds on June 3.
