When Facebook first lit up with claims that all of Oakland’s tornado sirens were down, we went straight to the source—Dusty Nichols—and confirmed that both sirens serving the area were indeed offline.

Now, we have a critical update.

What Changed — And What Hasn’t

As of today:

The Oakland pool siren is now fully operational

The Ballard (airport) siren is still not working

Nichols confirmed directly in an email to Shawnee County staff:

“The Oakland pool siren is operating as expected. We made the repairs today and I just did an on-site in-person test. Everything is working normally.”

That repair comes just in time, as severe weather is expected to move through the area today.

The second siren, located near Ballard Airport, is still awaiting repair. According to Nichols, the county’s contractor is scheduled to complete that work Monday.

Timing Matters — And This Timing Is Tight

This update comes as Shawnee County faces a high risk of severe weather today (Thursday, April 23, 2026):

70%–85% chance of thunderstorms and rain

Primary threat window: 2 PM to 10 PM

Strong winds and potential for severe storm development

Storms may continue into the early morning hours

In other words, one siren is back online just before a significant weather event—while the other remains silent.

What This Means for Oakland Residents

Here’s the reality heading into today’s storms:

You do have siren coverage again in Oakland—but it’s now limited to a single operational unit

The airport-area siren will not sound if a warning is issued

Coverage may be reduced depending on your location

Nichols previously emphasized—and it still applies now—that:

Outdoor sirens are not your primary warning system.

He stressed that most people already have severe weather alerts built into their phones, and if you’re not receiving them, there’s a strong likelihood those alerts have been turned off.

What You Should Do Before 2 PM Today

With storms expected this afternoon, take a few minutes now:

Check that Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are enabled on your phone

Turn on notifications for your weather apps

Identify a secondary alert method (TV, radio, NOAA weather radio)

Because even with one siren restored:

You should not rely on hearing a siren as your only warning today.

Bottom Line

The situation has improved—but is not fully resolved

One of two Oakland sirens is now working

The second remains offline until at least Monday

Severe weather is expected within hours

This is about as close as timing gets.

One siren is back. One is still down.
And the storms are already on the way.