Emergency Sirens Tested on the First Wednesday of the Month

This gave me a shock when I first moved to Minnesota. I previously lived in California, and California doesn't fret too much about tornadoes.

On Wednesday at 1 p.m. cities across the Metro and much of Minnesota test their outdoor emergency sirens. They are often referred to as tornado sirens, but are used to warn people about any potential emergency or disaster.

The exact locations of the emergency sirens isn't published, although you may have spotted them around the cities. I know that I was very close to one in the first house I lived in. I don't know exactly where the siren was, but the first Wednesday test gave me a shock! Was the sky falling down? A quick check of local TV stations and then a bit of searching on the internet revealed that all was as usual and that the sirens were just being tested. Yes, I did feel a bit silly.

In recent times, the sirens were only tested in tornado season, the spring and summer months. But after terrorist concerns in recent years, they are now tested year round.

As winter winds up, spring begins, and as the weather warms up storm season begins, bringing thunder, lightning and the risk of tornadoes. The chance of actually being hit by a tornado is very, very low, but it does happen. The peak tornado season here in Minnesota is May, June and July. Minimize the risk to you by being prepared. Here's a guide to getting prepared for tornado season.