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   Severe Weather Awareness week is dedicated to helping 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 proved, 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: Will take a look at severe weather including lightning and hail.

   Wednesday: This day will bring information about flooding.

   Thursday: The topic of this day is tornadoes in conjunction with the Statewide Tornado drills.

   Friday: Will bring information about extreme heat. It is going to happen someday!

   On Thursday, April 11th, 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 also practice plans.

   During the week April 8th through the 12th, 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 for all of us to be able to be alerted of all hazards and we encourage everyone to consider a purchase 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, Emergency Management  | Cass County, MN (casscountymn.gov) and click on the Nixle Emergency Management System link located on the right side of the page under Quick Links to sign up or you can text your Cass County zip code to 888777 to opt-in. 

   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 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. It 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.

   The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Leech Lake Tribal Police - Emergency Management Divisions will be hosting two in person Skywarn Storm Spotter trainings in April. An informed community makes for a more resilient community and the Skywarn program helps build a cooperative relationship between the National Weather Service and the community to assist in the receipt and effective distribution of weather information. These free classes are two hours long and will be held at the following locations:

   • April 23, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.: Pine River – Backus School 401 Murray Ave, Pine River, MN 56474

   • May 1, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.: Onigum Community Center 8826 Onigum Road NW, Walker, MN 56484

   If you plan on attending either in person class, please RSVP to: Chad Emery, Cass County Sheriff’s Office - Emergency Management at 218-547-7437 or [email protected]

   Here are a couple of weather-related websites with a lot of great information and resources, https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/weather-awareness-preparedness/Pages/severe-weather-awareness-week-program.aspx 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.

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