SAN MARCOS, Texas — As severe storms rolled through Central Texas Friday night, a tornado warning was issued near San Marcos, but the city’s outdoor warning sirens stayed silent.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra, who also serves as the county’s emergency management director, said the city missed a crucial opportunity to alert residents.

“We had an opportunity to utilize our high-dollar investment in technology, and we failed,” Becerra said.

The outdoor siren system, which should have automatically triggered during the warning, did not activate as expected.

“Unfortunately, we were not ready as we would have liked to have been,” Becerra said. “That happens more often than not, but the city of San Marcos has assured us they are on top of it.”

In a statement, the City of San Marcos said of

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