Stutsman Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist

Jamestown  (CSi) The week of April 30th has been designated, “Severe Summer Weather Awareness Week,” for the entire state of North Dakota.  This annual event is intended 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.

 

On Monday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Stutsman County, Emergency Manager, Jerry Bergquiest said in the past, as part of the awareness week activities, a statewide tornado exercise was initiated by the National Weather Service.  However, due to changes in warning technology, the statewide test can no longer be conducted.  But, because of the importance of the test, Stutsman County will conduct a modified exercise that will begin at about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, May 2nd. The sirens will operate for about 3 minutes at approximately 11:15 a.m. The exercise will simulate what occurs locally when a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service.

The Regular first Wednesday of the month CSi Cable interrupt test from the LEC dispatch will be conducted independently  on Wednesday morning.

Barnes County Emergency Manager Sue Lloyd says there will be one North Dakota statewide “test” tornado warning on Wednesday, May 2nd, around 11:00 am Central Daylight Time.

Bergquist sayd, in essence, the modified tornado exercise will be testing internal notification procedures county-wide along with siren activation capabilities.  Sirens will be activated in many area communities including the City of Jamestown.  In most communities, sirens will be activated for approximately 3 minutes.

 

Because the National Weather Service will not be involved with the exercise, the simulated warning will not be broadcast through the National Weather Service all-hazards weather radio system.  Also, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for local AM/FM radio stations and cable television providers will not be activated. Stutsman County’s CodeRED notification system will also not be activated for this test.

 

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.