What to know during Severe Weather Awareness Week

By KSTP

Severe weather awareness week

Severe weather awareness week

Monday marked the start of Severe Weather Awareness Week, a time when state officials try to educate Minnesotans and urge them to prepare for weather threats.

Each day this week, state emergency officials and meteorologists will focus on a different weather safety topic.

Hennepin County officials say people don’t listen to severe weather warnings like they used to and they’re hoping to change that. Authorities say the warnings have become lost to those not connected to local media. 

“People get distracted, hook onto a music stream they like and you can have an entire severe weather sequence sneak up on you and not know it because they’re busy listening to something else,” Hennepin County Emergency Management Director Eric Waage said.

“In the old days, it used to be about two things: sirens and radio, but now it’s about maximizing all the different tools available,” Waage said.

Authorities recommend getting weather apps for your phone, buy a weather radio and staying tuned to local TV and radio during severe weather. 

Minnesota’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division says the topics aren’t just a good reminder about seasonal weather threats but are also a good time to make and practice an emergency plan and refresh your emergency preparedness kit.

KSTP’s Severe Weather Guide

The tornado drills on Thursday get much of the attention for obvious reasons, but it’s important to be prepared for a variety of weather events.

Outdoor sirens will be tested on Thursday at 1:45 in the afternoon and again at 6:45 in the evening.

This week’s full schedule of topics can be found below. Click on each topic to find more information or view the guide from Minnesota’s Weather Authority by clicking here.