Cooper County officials are not only assessing the damage from Wednesday morning’s tornado that touched down in Pilot Grove, but also why the town’s siren failed to warn residents.

In a statement released Thursday, April 3, Emergency Management director Larry Oerly says a power outage was to blame for the siren not activating. Oerly explains that the siren was slated for replacement next month, because it was outdated and did not have a battery backup. He notes that the siren had been tested earlier in the week and functioned normally, but that a power outage just prior to the tornado’s touchdown resulted in the siren failing.

A replacement siren was already ordered, with grant funds covering the cost of the replacement. The new siren is expected to arrive in early May, and come with a backup battery that will allow it to operate during a power outage.

Wednesday’s EF-2 tornado left a six-mile path of destruction from Pilot Grove north to Interstate 70, but resulted in no fatalities or serious injury.