Severe Weather Awareness Week

Contributed report

Now that the snow is gone, tis the season for severe weather.

The National Weather Service (NWS) as declared April 8-12 Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota.

Various topics will be presented on severe weather safety each day by the NWS Twin Cities via their X feed and Facebook Page. Topics include Weather Alerts and Warnings, Severe Storms, Lightning, and Hail, Floods, Tornadoes and Extreme Heat.

On Thursday, April 11 at 6:45 p.m. most counties in Minnesota will participate in tornado watch/warning drills by activating outdoor warning siren systems and other notification systems.

According to the NWS, counties and cities own their own sirens and so decide when to activate them during severe weather. Some activate sirens across the entire county for tornado warnings only. Others activate sirens countywide for tornado warnings and all severe thunderstorm warnings. Some activate sirens across the entire county for tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms that have winds of at least 70 or 80 mph. Others will activate sirens only for portions of counties.  Local officials may also sound the sirens anytime they believe severe weather is a threat, even if there is no warning from the National Weather Service.

According to the NWS, sirens normally sound for about three minutes, and then go silent.  It is very rare to keep the sirens sounding for the entire warning, since that would cause the backup battery to run out, which would be critical in the event that power goes out.  Furthermore, the siren motor will fail much more quickly if the siren sounds continuously.  Some jurisdictions may repeat siren activation every few minutes.

There is no such thing as an “all-clear” for storms.

The NWS advises residents to check with their local public safety officials for details on when warning sirens are sounded in their communities.

The NWS reminds residents that watches are issued when conditions are favorable for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, or flash floods. If you are in a watch area, continue with normal activities but also make plans to seek shelter if necessary.

Warnings are issued when severe weather has been reported or is imminent. NWS advises you to seek shelter immediately if you are in or near the path of the storm. Warnings are issued by county and city names. Make sure you know the name of the county in which you live and the cities that surround you.

Warnings are disseminated swiftly in a multitude of ways, including TV, radio, and over the internet. Advances in technology have allowed people to receive warnings via cell phone, pager, and numerous other methods. Spotters provide important reports on the storm, and emergency officials carry out the plans that the emergency managers have developed. Updates are issued frequently until the immediate threat has ended.

The NWS recommends every home is equipped with a NOAA Weather Radio. The tone alert feature of NOAA Weather Radio will activate specially built receivers, sounding an alarm to alert you to the danger.  The alarm will go off anytime the National Weather Service issues a warning, even in the middle of the night. NWS said it is important to have a NOAA Weather Radio, as you cannot always depend on sirens, phone calls or seeing the warnings on television.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has announced April 8-12 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota. Visit the NWS Facebook page for severe weather safety reminders.