It’s tornado season yet again in the midwestern and southern United States. This means big storms and danger for those who are unaware of the threat.

Boone County is currently working on reworking its tornado warning system to target specific areas.

The county wants to rely more on cell phones to better target areas, said Martina Pounds, who is in charge of emergency management for the county. Residents would receive a text message if a tornado was sighted. The new system would be based on the location of the cell phone user and would be more precise than the current sirens.

“The weather service is getting better with their predictions with the path of the tornado,” Pounds said. “The cell phones are distributed on cell towers. It doesn’t matter where you live, but where you’re located.”

Right now, if a tornado is sighted anywhere in Boone County, all 84 sirens in the county go off as a warning to residents. However, this new system would be up-to-date and work very closely with the weather service, Pounds said.

Tornado watches and warnings are different. A watch is where the weather is in the perfect conditions for a tornado to form. However, sirens will still sound. While a warning is where a tornado has been sighted, according to the city of Columbia’s website.

The process, though, will not be a quick one. All municipalities have to agree on the new change.

“(It will take place) within the next three or four months; everybody has to sign the agreement, so it will take longer,” Pounds said.

Though the new system could be updated during this current tornado season, it might be implemented more widely in the upcoming year. The plan is facing some resistance.

“There is some opposition, because people are concerned ‘what if the tornado changes path, then what,’” Pounds said. “Then the people now thinking they’re safe aren’t safe, and even the National Weather Service can’t predict that (quickly).”

If one suspects inclement weather or a tornado, one should always turn to local media since sirens are not always heard, Pounds said.

“(Turn) on your local radio stations, log in to the National Weather Service, or … purchase a weather radio,” Pounds said.

The city of Columbia’s website recommends residents watch for common tornado danger signs, which include an approaching cloud of debris, very low wind and still air. Tornadoes also usually appear at the end of thunderstorms, so the area could even be sunny.

For more information on what to do during a tornado, visit [the City of Columbia’s website](http://www.gocolumbiamo.com).