Officials urge preparation during Severe Weather Awareness Week

With how unpredictable the weather is in Minnesota and Wisconsin, it’s important to be aware of what is happening and be prepared for the worst.

Awareness and preparation are exactly what state, county, and local officials across the states are urging this week, which is Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Each day this week, meteorologists and local officials are highlighting various severe weather safety topics. Also, most counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin will conduct tornado drills Thursday afternoon and evening, complete with siren and notification system tests.

The 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Weather Team has put together a complete guide to help Minnesotans and Wisconsinites know more about severe weather events and how to be prepared. CLICK HERE to see the severe weather guide.

Also happening this week, the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities is holding Skywarn spotter training classes. There are around one thousand storm spotters in the metro and more than ten thousand in the state.

“Tornado fatalities have been dropping drastically through the years, and so there’s no doubt in my mind, better warnings, better communication, and better reports from spotters have played a huge role,” said Todd Krause, National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist. 

If you would like to become a storm spotter, click here.