Stutsman Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist

Jamestown  (CSi) Stutsman County Emergency Manager, Jerry Bergquist says, “As part of the awareness week activities, April 24-28, the annual statewide tornado exercise will be conducted. The exercise is scheduled to begin at about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, with a simulated tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service.  In response to the simulated warning, a countywide exercise of the emergency operations plan will take place.  The plan is designed to warn the greatest number of people in the least amount of time.”

 

The week of April 24th has been designated, “Severe Summer Weather Awareness Week,” for the entire state of North Dakota.  This annual event is designed to remind the public of the dangers associated with severe summer weather including:  lightning, high winds, large hail, flash floods and tornadoes, all of which can cause severe property damage, personal injury, and even death.

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As part of the exercise, sirens will be activated in many area communities  including the City of Jamestown.  In most communities, sirens will be activated for approximately 3 minutes. In addition, the simulated warning
will be broadcast over the National Weather Service all-hazards weather radio system, local AM/FM radio stations and the CSi cable television interrupt system.

 

The most common reason a community’s warning sirens are activated is to warn the public of a possible tornado.  However, sirens could also be activated to alert the public of other types of events that could be a danger to the
community.  Hearing the sirens is the signal to either tune into a local radio station or turn on the television, CSi Cable subscribers can to listen for official instructions.

Information may also be provided via the CodeRED notification system, which  Stutsman County subscribes to, and the Stutsman County Facebook page.