Severe weather awareness week
Severe Weather Awareness Week is April 8 - 12, 2024
Are you ready for severe weather? Each year, HSEM collaborates with the National Weather Service to sponsor Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota. The week is designed to refresh, remind and educate everyone about the seasonal threats from severe weather and how to avoid them. It's also a great time to make and practice your emergency plan and build or refresh your emergency preparedness kit.
Statewide tornado drills
The most important events during Severe Weather Awareness Week are the two annual statewide tornado drills.
In Minnesota, the 2024 statewide tornado drills are scheduled for Thursday, April 11 at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. CDT.
Outdoor warning sirens will sound in a simulated tornado warning. The first drill is intended for institutions and businesses. The evening drill is intended for second shift workers and families.
Why severe weather awareness week?
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota experiences an average of 29 tornadoes per year. In 2021, Minnesota recorded 64 tornadoes, including 22 on December 15 alone, which were the latest reported tornadoes on record. A record was set in 2010 with 113 tornadoes touching down across the state.
Understanding this threat and knowing what to do when a tornado is approaching can save lives.
Take advantage of Severe Weather Awareness Week to review your own and your family's emergency procedures and prepare for weather-related hazards.