Severe Weather Awareness

Severe Weather Awareness Week in April

The most important events during the week are the annual stateside tornado drills.

During this week, individuals, families, businesses and schools are encouraged to prepare for the risks of severe weather. Each day of the week focuses on a different weather safety topic.

Date	Training
Monday	Alerts and Warnings
Tuesday	Severe Weather, Lightning and Hail
Wednesday	Floods
Thursday	Tornadoes (with statewide tornado drills)
Friday	Extreme Heat

Outdoor Warning Sirens

Based on recommendations from the National Weather Service, outdoor warning sirens will activate during tornado warnings and during thunderstorm warnings when wind speed is expected to meet or exceed 70 miles per hour.

Please see the following the FAQs at the right to understand when and how warning sirens are sounded.

Dakota County Emergency Notifications

Sign up for text, email and other alerts about emergencies and important community news through the Dakota Communications Center's Emergency Alert Program.

Weather Radio and Weather Alerts

Residents are encouraged to purchase a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio and sign up for weather alerts. The National Weather Service (NWS) and many local media outlets offer electronic alerting services that provide email, RSS feed or text messages to cell phones, computers or other devices, either directly or via services such as Facebook, Twitter or others. These messages are available by voluntary subscription and can provide local information on weather, including watches and warnings. The list below includes a sampling of various electronic alerting services in Minnesota:

How do I prepare for severe weather?

Make a kit.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days.

Make a plan.

Sit down as a family and decide where you will go and how you will communicate. There will be different responses to different weather events, so prepare for them all.

Be informed.

Answer the question, "What types of emergencies can happen in your community?" and use that to prepare.

Get involved.

Learn about your community's emergency plans and how you can help in the event of a disaster. Burnsville residents have the opportunity to become involved in city programs, such as the Mobile Volunteer Network (MVN).

View more information on how to prepare to severe weather and emergency situations.