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EMA outlines mitigation grants and portable tornado‑siren plan for events on private property
Summary
EMA staff described mitigation funding (federal share ~75%) and said Manchester is preparing a road‑raising grant application and pursuing two trailer‑mounted portable tornado sirens (mounted ~40 feet) because federal rules limit placing fixed sirens on private property such as Bonnaroo.
At the Coffee County EMA advisory meeting on May 28, EMA staff reviewed mitigation funding opportunities tied to presidential disaster declarations and described ongoing projects including a road‑raising application and plans to acquire portable tornado sirens usable for events on private land.
Allen, the EMA representative, said federal mitigation grants typically cover the majority of project costs and described the usual cost share as about 75% federal with the remainder borne by state and local partners (the meeting discussion referenced a state/local share described as "12 and 0.5," which EMA staff clarified in discussion as approximately a 12.5% state/local match). He said Manchester City is preparing an application to raise and renovate Esther Lane and Skinner Flat Road to restore reliable access for homes that have been isolated by recurring flooding.
On warning systems, Allen said Manchester is planning a multi‑siren upgrade that will be polygon‑based and tied to National Weather Service warnings so sirens in a warned polygon activate automatically. Because Bonnaroo is private property, federal dollars cannot be used to place fixed sirens on private land, Allen said. The state mitigation official recommended seeking two trailer‑mounted, portable tornado sirens that can be elevated about 40 feet and triggered by the polygon system; EMA staff said such sirens would also help other county events.
Allen also said EMA will evaluate obtaining a critical‑infrastructure generator to power administrative and operations‑center systems; the office currently lacks full generator-backed capacity in case of power loss.
Board members discussed siren placement and coverage, and the meeting noted that warning sirens are primarily designed for outdoor alerting and that in-home alerting still relies on weather radios and phone systems. The board did not make final funding decisions during the meeting; staff will pursue grant applications and follow up with project timelines if grants are awarded.
