Morehead, KY — After widespread reports from Rowan County residents who said they did not receive a tornado alert during recent severe weather, county officials are now providing an explanation of how the system works.
In a response to The Morehead Minute, Rowan County Emergency Management Director Jarred Moore said the alert systems functioned as intended during the event.
According to Moore, both sirens and mobile alerts operate under specific limitations that may explain why many residents did not receive a warning.
How the system works
Moore explained that:
Outdoor warning sirens are designed primarily for people outdoors, not indoors
Sirens may not be heard inside homes, especially beyond a 1.5-mile radius
Mobile alerts are polygon-based, meaning they are only sent to devices located within the official warning area
Individuals outside that polygon—or even near the outer edge—may not receive an alert
The system also relies on cell tower triangulation, which can be affected if location services are disabled or if a user is near the boundary of a warning zone.
Was there a failure?
According to Emergency Management:
👉 No system failures have been identified
👉 The system operated as designed
Officials say many of the concerns raised by residents appear to stem from how the system is structured, rather than a malfunction.
Why many residents still have concerns
Despite that explanation, feedback gathered from the community tells a broader story.
Dozens of residents—both on The Morehead Minute and on the Rowan County Emergency Management page—reported:
They did not receive a phone alert
They did not hear sirens
They were unaware of the warning until after the fact
In many cases, residents say they believed alerts would be sent countywide, especially during a tornado warning.
That gap between expectation and reality is now at the center of the discussion.
What residents should do moving forward
Emergency Management emphasized that no single alert system should be relied upon.
They recommend:
Enabling Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone
Using a NOAA Weather Radio
Keeping weather apps with notifications turned on
Following National Weather Service and local forecasts
The bigger takeaway
As a Certified Weather Spotter with the National Weather Service, I monitored this situation in real time and saw firsthand how confusion developed across multiple platforms.
Now, with official clarification, one thing is clear:
👉 The system worked as designed
👉 But many residents did not fully understand how it works
And in severe weather—especially overnight—that disconnect can be critical.
Because when a tornado warning is issued, people don’t just need alerts.
They need to know they’ll receive them.
👉 We want to hear from you: Did you receive an alert?
Comment or reply and let us know your location.