KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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The Cass County Emergency Services Board (CCESB) took immediate action to adjust the weather alerts system to “improve clarity and coordination” after community complaints.
The board said it worked closely with the National Weather Service and Everbridge, a third-party communication company, to review how the updates were delivered.
“We sincerely apologize for the confusion created by the timing and content of recent messages, particularly during a rapidly changing weather event,” the board stated in a letter dated Wednesday, April 29.
The weather event in question occurred on April 17.
Belton residents told KSHB 41 Cass County reporter Ryan Gamboa they received notification that a tornado warning was no longer in effect at 5:21 p.m. However, the NWS reports an EF1 tornado touched down from 5:19 p.m. to 5:24 p.m.
The review found that as the storm evolved, some updates included multiple pieces of information. While the original warning area had been canceled, other areas remained under a warning.
Thus, some residents received all-clear messages even though warnings remained active elsewhere.
Moving forward, all-clear messages will no longer be sent automatically, per CCESB.
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“We recognize that trust in emergency communications is essential and we are committed to providing clear, accurate, and reliable alerts,” CCESB said. “ We will continue working with our partners to improve the system to ensure it meets the needs of the community.”
The board closed the letter by stating its goal is to provide “timely, dependable information” to help protect the community.
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