Severe Weather Awareness Week: Tornado Drill is Thursday, April 18

As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, Washington County is participating in a statewide tornado drill on Thursday, April 18.

Since 2000, natural disasters have killed 21 Minnesotans and caused more than $373 million in federally declared damages. 

Washington County partners with the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the National Weather Service to promote severe weather preparedness. Daily topics:

Tuesday: Severe Weather, Lightning and Hail

Wednesday: Floods

Thursday: Statewide tornado drill day

• 1:45 p.m. — The National Weather Service will issue a simulated tornado warning for Minnesota counties.
• 6:55 p.m. — The National Weather Service will issue a second simulated tornado warning. (Practice your emergency plan at home.)

Friday: Extreme Heat

The outdoor warning sirens in Washington County are only designed to be heard by people outside of buildings. Washington County urges residents to research other alert methods such as cell phone capabilities and use NOAA weather radios for their homes and places of business.

The National Weather Service’s website has information on radio types and models, how to program them and where to buy a NOAA weather radio.

On Tornado Drill Day

Washington County Sheriff’s Office will be testing the primary outdoor warning siren activation system and the backup outdoor warning siren activation on Thursday, April 18, at 1:45 p.m. and again at 6:55 p.m.

The outdoor warning sirens are activated by geographic areas in Washington County. Washington County is split into two areas: “north” and “south.” The north zone would be all sirens located north of I-94 and south zone were all sirens located south of Highway 96.

Click here to learn more about Washington County’s warning sirens

At 1:45 p.m.

• Outdoor warning sirens will be tested using the backup siren activation system.
• The county will first activate the outdoor warning sirens assigned in the north area and allow the sirens to sound until they stop automatically, which is usually three minutes.
• The county will then activate the outdoor warning sirens in the south area and allow the sirens to sound until they stop automatically.

Some of the sirens will be sounded twice. This will give the local authorities who own and maintain the sirens the ability to determine if their sirens are operating correctly.

At 6:55 p.m.:

• All outdoor warning sirens countywide will be sounded from the primary activation system and will be allowed to run until they stop automatically.
• The outdoor warning sirens will be sounded only once during the 6:55 p.m. test period.

Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Washington County Emergency Management

Map of the outdoor warning sirens throughout Washington County

Things to Know about Washington County’s Outdoor Sirens

Businesses, schools and local and state agencies are encouraged to use this warning as a time to review emergency procedures.

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