Many K-Staters have asked why a K-State Alerts message was not sent when the tornado warning was issued on May 21.
Currently, K-State Alerts are only issued for tornadoes if the campus falls within the warning area designated by the National Weather Service. The May 21 tornado warning was for areas to the west and north of Manhattan so the campus was not directly at risk. The outdoor warning sirens for the cities of Ogden and Manhattan are tied together. So when the sirens were sounded to warn the people in Ogden of the tornado, the sirens in Manhattan activated as well. This is why a K-State Alert wasn’t issued even though the Manhattan sirens were activated.
If you’re ever in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of safety and take shelter.