Minneapolis and St. Paul, like much of the USA, are at risk from tornadoes. Southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area, is regarded to be in Tornado Alley, and the Twin Cities are among the top 15 US cities most likely to be struck by a tornado.
Tornadoes can be devastating, but you can significantly reduce the risk to you and loved ones by being prepared, and knowing what to do if a tornado does hit. Most deaths and injuries happen to people taken by surprise. Many more happen to people who hear tornado warnings, but disregard them.
When Are Tornadoes Likely In Minneapolis and St. Paul?
The peak tornado season for Minneapolis and St. Paul is May, June and July. However, tornadoes can and do strike outside these months. In the past, tornadoes have struck Minnesota in every month from March until November.
How Will I Know If a Tornado is Approaching?
Watch the weather, and pay heed to tornado watches and tornado warnings, and emergency sirens.
Outdoor emergency sirens, often referred to as tornado sirens, are sounded when a tornado has formed. Sirens are sounded when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning. They are also sounded if a tornado is sighted by a trained spotter, a firefighter or police officer, or a sighting by a member of the public is confirmed.
Sirens are located across the Twin Cities.
But don't assume that because there is no siren, there is no danger.
While there are outdoor emergency sirens across the Twin Cities, they may not sound for every tornado. When a devastating tornado hit the unfortunately-named Siren, Wisconsin, in 2001, no emergency siren sounded. The siren was broken, and even if it had been working, the power was out and the siren - like many in Wisconsin and Minnesota - had no battery backup.
Tornadoes can form very fast, in some cases too fast for the sirens to be sounded in time.
Here in the Twin Cities, the Hennepin County sirens didn't sound in the 2006 Rogers Tornado, which killed a ten-year-old girl. The National Weather Service said that a convoluted and fast-moving weather pattern meant that there was no time to sound the sirens before the tornado hit the town of Rogers and northern Hennepin County.
If the emergency sirens are sounded, they are not audible everywhere.The outdoor emergency sirens are designed to be heard outdoors, and people in buildings may not hear them. I can only hear the sirens being tested faintly from my home, and I can't hear sirens at all in a store or bigger building.
So the sirens may not work, they may not sound in time, and if they do, you might not hear them. So it's important to watch the weather too. Most residents of the Twin Cities are in the habit of frequently checking the weather on the radio, television, newspaper or internet, and it's a wise habit to adopt.
Be alert to what's happening outside, especially if the weather is turning stormy. Listen for tornado watches and warnings on local television or radio.
What Weather Signs Indicate a Possible Tornado?
These are some visual signs that should be taken as a warning of an imminent tornado,
- A green or green-black sky
- A funnel-shaped cloud
- A low-lying, black cloud
- Swirling dust or debris, debris falling or being pulled upwards
- Hail, thunder or lightning
- Strange cloud behavior, such as clouds moving very fast, swirling or converging
- A sudden drop in temperature
- A sudden calm after wind, when the air becomes very still
Tornado witnesses often report that they "felt" it coming before the tornado formed. Tornadoes are associated with low air pressure, which the body can sense. If your body is telling you there's danger, you would be wise to listen.
Although synonymous with tornadoes for most people, a funnel may, or may not be visible. Not all tornadoes have a visible funnel. Funnels may be surrounded and hidden by dust or rain.
Tornadoes can - but not always - make noise. The sounds made are described as whooshing roars, or something similar to a jet engine, freight train, or rushing water. Funnels can also make whining or buzzing sounds. The sound does not travel far, so if you can hear a tornado, it is very close. Seek shelter immediately.
Tornado Watches and Tornado Warnings
The National Weather Service issues tornado watches and tornado warnings. What's the difference?
Tornado Watch: means conditions are favorable for the formation of tornadoes, but no actual tornado has been seen by spotters, or can be seen on doppler radar. Listen to local weather reports, pay attention to the weather, and be prepared to take shelter if necessary. Alert friends, family and neighbors of the warning.
Tornado Warning: A tornado has been spotted, or doppler radar shows a tornado is forming or has formed. If a tornado warning is issued for your area, seek shelter immediately. A tornado warning means that a tornado is very close and may strike within minutes.
Next: How to Prepare, and What To Do in a Tornado
