TUPELO (AP) — Five of Tupelo’s seven emergency warning sirens apparently sounded this past weekend as a possible tornado threatened the area.

Last Thursday, only two of the sirens appeared to have functioned properly as a powerful storm system ripped through the area, damaging businesses and downing trees and power lines.

“I had our guys go out and do a test on it, and as far as I know, they blew them Saturday night,” said Johnny Timmons, manager of Tupelo Water & Light. “I personally heard them myself.”

Paul Harkins, director of Lee County 911, said the two sirens that apparently failed Saturday night were located at South Thomas Street and the intersection of Jackson Street and Lumpkin Avenue. The 911 office operates sirens in Tupelo as well as the eight others scattered throughout Lee County.

Harkins said he put in a work order Monday for the TW&L to check the sirens. Timmons said the crews were investigating.

Tupelo and Lee County earlier jointly applied for a federal grant to purchase more of the warning devices.

The Saturday night storms in northeast Mississippi left damage in the Snow Lake community of Benton County but no injuries.

Wesley Stanton, spokesman for the Benton County Emergency Management Agency, said several houses in the community, located between Ashland and Holly Springs, received minor damage.

Stanton said several trees were downed and hundreds of homes were temporarily without power.

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