New outdoor weather warning siren installed in Merriman

MERRIMAN, Neb. - Residents in the Merriman area now have a new way to be alerted about severe weather. A new outdoor warning siren was recently installed in the Cherry County village by Blue Valley Public Safety of Missouri.

The new system comes after a summer marked by multiple tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds across the region.

“I am happy to finally be able to give the Village of Merriman citizens back the ability to receive severe weather warnings as they’ve been without a working siren for years.  This is the best part of the job helping communities to be more prepared for potential disasters.  I enjoy serving the citizens of Cherry County and look forward to doing more projects like this in the future,” said Cherry County Emergency Manager Jessica Coyle. “Emergency Management is all about planning, preparedness, response, and recovery, this outdoor warning siren is just the beginning for this community.”

As previously reported by News Channel Nebraska, Cherry County received a Hazard Mitigation Grant from FEMA that will pass through the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to reimburse the cost of installation and equipment, up to $35,000.

The project was completed months ahead of schedule—county officials originally anticipated installation in February.

Members of the Merriman Village Board, Cherry County Commissioner Mike McConaughey, and Emergency Management and Communications Director Jessica Coyle were on site for the installation. The siren was tested after installation and functioned properly.

The system will be activated through Cherry County Dispatch when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues an immediate severe weather threat for the Merriman area. The NWS office serving this region is based in North Platte.

Officials note that the siren is designed to alert residents outdoors—it may not be heard inside homes or buildings. The coverage area includes the entire village and potentially extends to Cottonwood Lake.

Once Cherry County completes the grant reimbursement process, ownership of the siren will be transferred to the Village of Merriman, which will be responsible for maintenance and insurance.

The grant application was first submitted in 2022, with funding awarded earlier this year.