HOLLY — A severe thunderstorm with winds exceeding 70 mph moved through Holly Thursday morning, activating outdoor warning sirens across Oakland County and prompting residents to begin searching for the tornado they assumed came with them.
Local social media quickly filled with reports that no funnel cloud could be seen, raising concerns that officials had sounded the sirens without providing the expected tornado.
County officials clarified that the sirens are also activated for severe thunderstorms capable of producing 70 mph winds, information that surprised residents who had spent decades calling them tornado sirens and saw little reason to stop now.
“I went outside and looked,” said Holly resident Mark Ellison. “There wasn’t even a tornado.”
Officials reminded residents that when sirens sound, they should move indoors and check official weather information before going on Facebook to ask why the sirens are going off.