Severe Weather Awareness Week takes place April 19–23 with the statewide tornado drills on Thursday, April 22.

Area counties will be taking part in the statewide tornado drills on Thursday, April 22. Todd, Wadena, Cass and Morrison counties will be participating in two tornado drills.

The first drill will be statewide at 1:45 p.m. to allow schools, business and health care facilities to practice their emergency plans.

The second drill will be at 6:55 p.m. All area counties will be participating in this 6:55 p.m. drill to allow families at home and businesses that have second shift workers to practice, also.

“Every family and business should take this opportunity to put weather emergency plans into action,” says Scott McKellep, Wadena County’s director of Emergency Management.

“Tornados follow no pattern, and dangerous thunderstorms are common in Minnesota. There’s no substitute for practice when the real thing comes along.”

According to National Weather Service data, tornadoes have occurred in every Minnesota County at some time during the past 60 years. Wadena County has experienced 12 tornadoes since 1950, for instance.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety website at www.severeweather. state.mn.us contains tornado safety information along with instructions on surviving thunderstorms, hail, straight-line winds, heat waves, floods and lightning.

Links to the National Weather Service and the Red Cross provide fascinating weather facts and a variety of downloadable resources for families, teachers and children.

For local resources, contact:

Wadena County Emergency Management at 218- 631-7795

Cass County by calling Kerry J. Swenson, Cass County Emergency Management at 218-547-7437

Todd County Emergency Management, Michael Wisniewski, 320-533-4697

Morrison County: Jeff Jelinski 632-923

Nationally, the amount of damage severe weather causes is in excess of $1 billion. High temperatures can very quickly cause heat exhaustion, especially in children and the elderly. Lightning kills and injures more people than any other summer threat. In 2008, 52 lightning fires took place in Minnesota, resulting in about $2 million in damages to homes and other structures.

During this entire week, the National Weather Service will also be testing Emergency Alert Systems and all NOAA all hazard weather radios.

Sky Warn Weather Spotters Classes will also be offered in some communities.