Lightning strike silences tornado siren before deadly storm in Spaulding

A lightning strike knocked out a tornado siren in Spaulding, just when the community needed it most. The siren didn't sound during Saturday night's deadly storm, according to Hughes County Emergency Manager Mike Dockery.

“It’s very concerning,” Dockery said. “A lot of people rely on them, and when they don’t work, it creates problems, obviously, and the problems can be severe.”

One man, 84-year-old Jerry Davis, died when the tornado hit his mobile home. His wife was also injured in the storm. Dockery says the storm marks the second deadly tornado to strike Hughes County in less than a year.

“This has all been a team effort,” Dockery said. “You know, small communities pull together during disasters.”

The county performs weekly tests on the sirens to make sure they are in working order.

“All the sirens in Hughes County are owned individually by each town,” Dockery explained. “Hughes County Central Dispatch activates the sirens by radio.”

The siren in Spaulding was activated but was silent. A follow-up test and inspection on Monday confirmed the siren had been struck by lightning, which burned out its control board. A technician is scheduled to repair the damaged siren on Tuesday.

The tornado destroyed two homes in Spaulding and damaged several outbuildings. No other injuries were reported.