ELLSWORTH, Ill. (AP) - Weather spotters who thought they saw a tornado approaching the small central Illinois village of Ellsworth this week say the tornado siren was broken.
They discovered the problem only when they went to activate the siren Wednesday afternoon.
Mayor Jay Smithson says the incident was frightening.
But local radio stations and Web sites broadcast the warning.
Officials say the siren failed due to a recent lightning strike.
But they didn't know it because a monthly siren test was canceled Aug. 4 due to a real storm that day.
Wednesday's storm didn't cause serious damage in Ellsworth or the rest of McLean County.
The village board recently voted to buy a system that will allow the siren to be activated by remote control.
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