The City of Sarnia is looking into Thursday's storm response and what could have been done better.
Sarnia Fire Chief and Interim Community Emergency Management Coordinator Bryan Van Gaver said they've already taken a hard look at why sirens were not sounded in the city when a tornado warning was issued, and made proper corrections.
"Usually there are two modes of notification, one being Lambton Alerts, and the other being the city's sirens," said Van Gaver. "That did not happen. That was due to a combination of software issues where we didn't have the proper access rights that we thought we had, and then the other is more of a process issue. In a major event like this, there are always things that you can look at afterwards at what could have been better, that's just part of the process. You learn from those mistakes, you implement the changes, and you move forward."
A Tornado warning was issued for Sarnia at 4:02 p.m. and was lifted at 4:55 p.m.
Van Gaver said there are no reports of injuries related to the storm.
He said areas north of Maxwell Street were the hardest hit, in particular the Oakdale area between Rosedale and Guthrie Drive.
On Saturday and Sunday of this week, city contractors will be providing curbside brush collection to these areas.
They will be delivering curbside brush collection city-wide on the weekend of July 29 and 30.
Residents are asked to have brush properly bundled and placed at the curb, and smaller brush should be separated from larger items.
The City of Sarnia's compost site will be opened on Sunday July 23 and Sunday July 30, in addition to regular Saturday hours. Additional staff will be on site.
Residential drop off for brush and yard waste remain free of charge.
We're asked to report instances of downed or damaged trees, including hanging limbs, on city property on the city's online contact form or by calling 519-332-0330.
