Severe Weather Awareness Week begins April 19

Severe Weather Awareness Week is April 19 through 23 this year, with the statewide tornado drills taking place on Thursday, April 22. Over 70 Minnesota counties participate in Severe Weather Awareness Week.

At 1:45 in the afternoon of the 22nd, the National Weather Service will issue a simulated tornado warning, and again at 6:55pm. Since Cook County does not use outdoor sirens, residents are encouraged to monitor their NOAA weather radio frequencies, television and local radio broadcasts for severe weather.

According to the county’s Emergency Management Director Jim Wiinanen, “Every family and business should take this opportunity to put weather emergency plans into action. Tornados follow no pattern, and dangerous thunderstorms are common in Minnesota. There’s no substitute for practice when the real thing comes along.”

According to National Weather Service data, tornadoes have occurred in every Minnesota county at some time during the past 60 years. Cook County has experienced two tornadoes since 1950 -- June 1991 and September 1992.

For local information, contact Jim Wiinanen at 387-3059 or go to Emergency Management on the Cook County website.