Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

UPPER PENINSULA -- Tornadoes like in Merrill, Wisconsin narrowly missed the U.P. during Sunday night's storm and residents began wondering how they would have been warned if it hit the area.

Tornadoes are not common in the U.P. with an average of one per year developing.

However some of those can cause significant damage like the tornado that touched down in Dickinson County in 2002.

"75 percent of the tornadoes we have generally had wind speeds of less than 100 miles per hour,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Matt Zika. “That doesn't mean they can't do significant damage but a large majority of the tornadoes we have up here are of a weaker variety."

Linda Schwake knows damage can be caused saying on Facebook Wendesday that "…since I have lived in the Munising area I have seen very high winds uproot trees...I wouldn't want to get hit by a huge tree falling through my bedroom. I would like to be warned."

Carla Foster agreed asking "why tornado sirens aren't already in place?"

Emergency warning systems are in place in some state parks like Muskallonge, which used their system to evacuate during a severe storm in September 2010.

However, most U.P. counties don't have specific tornado sirens.

The issue was explored in Dickinson County but Emergency Service Deputy Director Pete Schlitt said it isn't cost effective or the best way to warn residents.

"We just couldn't cover the population and the other thing about it is it's all driven by sound,” Schlitt said. “If you have your air conditioning on and running in the summer time and your windows are closed you're probably not going to hear that siren unless you live right underneath it."

Dickinson County uses a National Weather Service transmitter to track severe weather warning residents on television, radio, and mobile transmitters which can be purchased at electronic stores.

So how many tornado sirens are there in the U.P.?

Upper Michigan’s Source made calls but couldn't get an exact answer.

However, what we do know is the sirens are few and far between.