Tornado warning prompts Columbia County alert test; managers urge residents to sign up for Hyper Reach

A tornado warning and fast-moving thunderstorm this week tested Columbia County's emergency alerting system while several senior officials were away, County Manager Scott Johnson said.

Johnson said he and others were at out-of-county events when the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Columbia County. He credited Public Relations Director Cassidy Harris and EMA staff with moving quickly to send alerts and coordinate response from the emergency operations center.

Johnson described a phone call with Vice Chair Allison Couch, who lives in the Harlem area, during the warning and said Couch volunteered to come to the EOC as soon as conditions allowed. Johnson noted that the National Weather Service's warning language has shifted toward reporting observed rotation rather than guaranteeing a touchdown.

Officials are urging residents to sign up for Hyper Reach, the county's direct alert system. Johnson acknowledged some residents complained about receiving multiple alerts but said the county would rather err on the side of caution for public safety.

"Sign up for Hyper Reach," Johnson said, directing listeners to the county website's alert-enrollment page. He added that doing so ensures residents receive direct cellphone alerts for weather events, road closures and other urgent notifications.