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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carolyn Marinan, Communications, 612-910-9111
Hennepin County will participate in a statewide tornado drill on Thursday, April 20. Outdoor warning sirens will sound at 1:45 p.m. directed towards those in schools or businesses and at 6:45 p.m. for families. A wireless emergency alert test will occur at 1 p.m. If severe weather is a significant threat that day, the drill will be cancelled.
The drills are part of Minnesota Severe Weather Awareness Week, April 17-21. In Hennepin County, nearly two-thirds of federally declared disasters have been due to tornadoes and other severe weather since 1960. This week serves as a reminder to create, update and practice household and workplace emergency plans.
Sirens alert people who are outdoors of severe weather warnings and other dangerous situations that threaten their safety. When people hear the warning sirens, they should take shelter immediately. People who are indoors may not hear them and instead should rely on another means to get warning, such as a NOAA weather radio and local television or radio stations.
Outdoor warning sirens sound when the National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning and/or if there are reports of sustained straight-line winds that pose a danger of death or injury. While the county activates sirens, the cities within Hennepin County purchase and maintain the equipment.
Siren safety tips
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Obey the sirens. Sirens mean people should seek shelter and tune to local weather information on radio, television or a NOAA weather radio. Unless it’s a first Wednesday-of-the-month drill, the warning is real.
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Be weather aware. Know the weather forecast when you start the day, and then check the weather throughout the day on days when severe weather is possible.
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Be alert and know where to shelter. If conditions change quickly or you see violent/threatening conditions, seek shelter and tune to local media. Take time today to learn and practice the emergency procedures at your workplace or school.
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Get a personal warning. Sirens alert people who are outdoors. Inside your home, you may not hear them. Use a NOAA weather radio or a severe weather smartphone app and stay tuned to local media.
A key disaster survival tool hides in plain sight
When a power outage occurs leaving you without internet or the ability to charge smart devices, don’t be caught off guard. Disaster readiness requires multiple ways to receive warnings and information, and during this year’s Severe Weather Awareness Week, consider an inexpensive and reliable survival tool within reach of nearly everyone: radio.
“Smart devices should be used to provide emergency alert and warning, but you’ll need other simpler devices to ensure you always get vital warnings. Include broadcast radio and TV in your plan,” said Eric Waage, Hennepin County’s director of Emergency Management.
How should you make broadcast radio (and TV) part of your disaster survival plan?
- NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radios are the best tools for information in a weather emergency. These can be purchased online for $20-$40.
- Have a portable AM/FM radio handy with extra batteries.
- Buy a television broadcast reception antenna, and then find the connector in the back of your TV. You can shift to broadcast if your regular signal goes out. Now, you are ready to get information if other services fail.
- Next, figure out how to receive your local broadcasters – the ones who keep you advised of weather, provide warnings, and pass on official emergency information. If needed, look for specialized local radio and television broadcasters who provide services in other languages. In the metro, TPT Now (broadcast channel 2.5) provides continuous public health and safety information and warning services in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali. Those with hearing-impairments can also get radio warnings and read some radio broadcasts with adaptive technology.
Real-time weather monitoring
View interactive weather forecasts, maps and more at hennepinwestmesonet.org.
Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at hennepin.us/news.
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