by AAH Jack Quirk
HENNESSEY, Okla. It was a tense the evening of Tuesday, June 17th in Hennessey as two separate tornado warnings were issued around 10:30 p.m. on June 17th, one just north of town, covering areas from south of Bison to Enid, and another directly over the City of Kingfisher.
With severe weather on the radar, the Hennessey Fire Department established a storm command center at the fire station. Fire Chief Brandon Scott and All About Hennessey’s Jack Quirk closely monitored real-time radar and storm data to assess the threats and communicate with Hennessey Police and Emergency Management.
All About Hennessey went live at 10:42 p.m., updating residents that although the tornado-warned storms would pass north of town, Hennessey was expected to experience high winds and heavy rain.
Despite the warnings, Hennessey’s sirens were not activated, as the most severe threats remained outside the town’s immediate area. However, in Kingfisher, the situation was far more urgent. Radar showed a potential tornado inside city limits moving east along Highway 33. But when officials attempted to sound the sirens, they failed to activate. This critical failure that has prompted city leaders and county commissioners to consider upgrading to the same modern system Hennessey installed last year.
Storms building to the west of Hennessey at sunset. Photo by AAH Jack Quirk
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