​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.   

 

 

The most important events during Severe Weather Awareness Week are the two annual statewide tornado drills. 

 

 

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.

 

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota experiences an average of 46​ tornadoes per year. In 2022, 83 tornadoes struck Minnesota, which is the most in a year since the all-time record of 113, set in 2010. Most tornadoes occur between May and August, though they have been spotted as early as March 6 in 2017 and as late as December 15, in 2021, when the state recorded 22 confirmed tornadoes.

 

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.