Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie wants to remind citizens that the week of April 8th through April 12th 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 into the severe weather season. As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, two tornado drills will be held on April 11. Schools and businesses are encouraged to practice emergency plans during the statewide tornado drill at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday. A second drill will take place at 6:45 p.m. to allow families and second-shift workers to practice sheltering plans.
In Dakota County, the 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 miles per hour. The sirens are a 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.
