Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie wants to remind citizens that the week of April 13th through April 17th is Severe Weather Awareness Week. This event is sponsored by the National Weather Service (NWS) and is intended to raise everyone's awareness as we enter the severe weather season. As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, Dakota County will be conducting a tornado drill at 1:46 p.m. on April 16, 2020. There will not be a second drill at 6:45 p.m., unlike previous years.
In Dakota County, our siren policy states that outdoor warning devices (sirens) will be activated when the National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning
or a Severe Thunderstorm Warning with wind speeds of at least 70 mph. The National Weather Service and local media do an excellent job of notification for incoming severe storms. The sirens are just another notification tool to advise citizens to go inside and turn on a radio or TV to see where the storms are and determine their best course of action.
During severe weather season, always be aware of the weather conditions around you. Be ready to seek shelter when the weather turns nasty. Have an emergency kit at home and ensure all family members know where the kit is located. To help you put together an emergency kit visit the following:
http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit/
For additional information on Severe Weather Awareness Week, please visit the State Of Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management website at the following:
https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/weather-awareness-preparedness/Pages/default.aspx
With questions, please contact Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Sergeant Jim Iliff at (651) 438-4703 or by email at james.iliff@co.dakota.mn.us.