Sheriff’s Corner - Severe Weather Awareness Week April 4-8

   Although we still have snow on the ground, summer severe weather is approaching along with the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week, which is April 4-8. 2022.

   Severe Weather Awareness Week is dedicated to help us all learn and prepare for upcoming weather hazards and to help provide resources to minimize the risks associated with severe weather. An informed, involved community is more resilient to disaster.  Being prepared also helps reduce the risks and costs of hazardous weather events. As past summers have proven, these events do happen and can cause extensive damage. 

   The National Weather Service will be highlighting top weather threats in Minnesota and how to be prepared for them as follows:

   Monday: This day will cover Alerts and Warnings and what they mean.

   Tuesday: This day will look at severe weather, including lightning and hail.

   Wednesday: This day will bring information about flooding.

   Thursday: This day’s topic is tornadoes in conjunction with the Statewide Tornado drills.

   Friday: This day will bring information about extreme heat. It is going to happen someday!

   On Thursday, April 7th, Cass County will be participating in two Tornado Drills. The first drill will be statewide at 1:45 p.m. to allow schools, businesses and healthcare facilities to practice their emergency plans.  All are encouraged to participate. The 2nd drill will be at 6:45 p.m. and this drill will allow all of us, as individual families and businesses that have late shift workers, to practice plans, also.

   During the week of April 4th through the 8th, the National Weather Service will be testing the Emergency Alert Systems and the NOAA All-Hazard Weather Radios. These radios are a very inexpensive way to be able to be alerted of all hazards. We encourage everyone to consider purchasing a NOAA Radio for your home and business. The NIXLE System in Cass County will also be tested.  If you have not signed up yet, please consider doing so.  It is free and keeps you in touch with any Public Safety messages relayed by the Sheriff’s Office. You can go to, http://www.co.cass.mn.us/ and click on the Nixle Alerts box to sign up or you can text your Cass County zip code to 888777 to opt-in. 

   Here is a little information on how the severe weather sirens are activated. The Weather Sirens are set off when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, when the National Weather Service issues wind warnings with wind speeds at or above 70 mph or when a trained spotter reports a tornado. These weather triggers follow the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers (AMEM) outdoor warning siren best practices. 

   The Cass County Dispatch Center uses The Weather Warn System. This system automatically activates the appropriate sirens without dispatch input and will cycle the sirens automatically while the tornado warning or extreme wind warning is active. When a warning comes from the weather service, a polygon is drawn and any siren located inside this polygon is automatically set off. The sirens will continue to cycle every 20 minutes while the tornado warning or extreme wind warning is active.

   In conjunction with Severe Weather Awareness Week, The National Weather Service (NWS) in Duluth, Minnesota, is offering annual Skywarn Spotter Training classes to recruit weather spotters! Skywarn is a cooperative effort between the NWS, local emergency management and private citizens who volunteer their time to attend free classes and send their weather reports to the NWS. 

   The course covers thunderstorm safety, the science of thunderstorms, different types of cloud formations and what they mean and how spotters can get their reports to the National Weather Service.

   Classes are completely free and last about an hour and a half. The NWS will continue to offer both its normal Basic course and a special Advanced class for those wanting more in-depth learning about the science of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Current spotters are requested to attend the course at least every four years. 

   To register for one of the live sessions use the following links. You will need to provide your name and email address to register. After registering for a meeting, a link will be sent to your email address for the meeting time you choose. 

   Basic Classes:

https://www.weather.gov/mpx/skywarnschedule

(There is also a recorded version of the course for those that are unable to attend a live class.)

**The 2021 Spotter Training is valid for 2022 training!** 

   If you are unable to attend the live classes during the spring, it’s okay! We recorded the presentation from 2021 and it’s available for you to watch anytime. If you’re from the Northland and want to register to be a spotter, or you just want to get a bit of refresher training, please check out the recorded version! To register as a spotter (or to refresh your contact information if you’re a current spotter), following these three steps: 1) Watch the three-part video series 2) Write down each of the 3 “code words” presented in the videos 3) Fill out the Spotter Registration Form. After you register, we’ll send you an email with a “hand out” document from the class that has our spotter phone number, a summary of what and how to report to our office, and some links to websites we discussed during the presentation. You’ll also get a link to watch last year’s Advanced class! If you have questions, comments, or feedback on this class or the Skywarn program, please contact Warning Coordination Meteorologist Joe Moore:  [email protected]

   Here are a couple of weather-related websites with a lot of great information and resources - www.severeweather.state.mn.us or www.ready.gov. Please check them out and if you have any other questions, please call Deputy Chad Emery, Cass County Emergency Management Division at 218-547-7437. 

   If you have specific questions that you would like answered in this column or in person, please feel free to contact me anytime using one of the following methods: 

   Email: 

[email protected]

   Phone: 

218-547-1424 | 1-800-450-2677

By Mail/In Person

Cass County Sheriff’s Office

303 Minnesota Ave W

PO Box 1119

Walker MN 56484