Abandoned 1950s Thunderbolt: Okemos, Michigan

While many of the thunderbolts in Michigan are being removed, there is one that remains abandoned, hidden in the brush in Okemos, and covered in vines.

This particular thunderbolt is very old, and when you look underneath, you'll see it has been snagged by vines with trees growing around it, further blocking our vision.

So what is a thunderbolt? Basically, it's a siren. It began its use in 1952 for civil defense and was the first supercharged siren, using a blower to force air into the rotor which increases its volume.

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In the 1980s, thunderbolts dropped their civil defense use and were used for storm warnings and nuclear accidents.

In 1990, all thunderbolts were discontinued and replaced by a newer siren: the 2001 Series. Since 1990, many thunderbolts were either replaced by new sirens or just left abandoned wherever they stood.

Not to say they aren't used anymore...they are. Some retired ones have been bought by towns and villages who had no alert system, so you may see some old thunderbolts being used in some of our smaller towns.

The gallery below shows images of an old abandoned thunderbolt that sits hidden in a woodsy area somewhere in Okemos.