Classic warning sirens remain on duty in Sedgwick County
For the past seven decades, through heat, cold, rain and snow, a group of sirens have turned in 24/7 duty throughout Sedgwick County. Known as "Thunderbolt sirens," the bright yellow devices – with their distinct shape of a narrow neck morphing into an oversized square horn – were the iconic symbol of the civil defense era of the 1950s. It was a time when the government and citizens alike were on edge about a possible Russian nuclear attack. Over the years, some, but not all, have been replaced by more updated versions, and their roles have expanded from an air raid [...]