Md. Tornadoes Prompt Changes In School Alerts
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- The private forecasting service AccuWeather says it's willing to modify its agreement with the Frederick County public schools after school officials said the company didn't warn them about a storm system that spawned tornadoes in two neighboring counties.
AccuWeather acknowledged on Wednesday it issued no Frederick County weather alerts on the morning of April 28 because the storms there weren't strong enough. The company says its storm-warning criteria are tailored to each customer's needs.
On that same morning, the National Weather Service issued tornado watches and warnings for Frederick County.
No twisters were confirmed but the alerts triggered sirens in some Frederick County towns. Parents who heard them wondered why school openings weren't delayed.
School officials said Tuesday they will no longer rely solely on AccuWeather for storm alerts.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
