Beltrami County to hold tornado drill Thursday, despite cancelations elsewhere

The National Weather Service announced it will cancel its participation in the Minnesota Statewide Tornado Drill scheduled for Thursday, April 11, due to ongoing flooding issues and impactful winter weather forecast for parts of the state.

Beltrami County is not experiencing flooding and is not expected to be in the blizzard set to hit portions of Minnesota on Thursday, officials said.

Beltrami County will continue the tornado drill in Beltrami County at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Outdoor warning sirens will sound at the two scheduled times.

However, the county will not use CodeRED during the drill, so residents will not receive CodeRED notifications from Beltrami County on their phones or devices, officials said in a release. NOAA Weather Radios will not activate and broadcast preemption will not take place. Schools, businesses, places of worship and citizens are encouraged to review their severe weather response plans and self-initiate practicing their plans at the scheduled drill time, the release said.

The remaining days of the week will feature a different hazard topic:

• Wednesday -- Flooding: Flooding kills more people than any other weather event: around 200 people each year. Flash flooding is particularly dangerous because of the rapid onset.
• Thursday -- Tornado Drill Day: A test tornado watch will be issued at 1:45 p.m. and again at 6:45 p.m. Outdoor warning sirens and NOAA Weather Radios will activate. Business, residents and schools are encouraged to participate in the drills and execute severe weather response plans. Beltrami County utilizes CodeRED and sirens for tornado warnings and intense thunderstorms with winds in excess of 70 mph. CodeRED will not be tested in Beltrami County for the drill.
• Friday -- Extreme Heat: Even in Minnesota the temperature can rise to dangerous levels, the release said. Air temperatures of 90 degrees combined with dew points can create dangerous heat that “feels like” temperatures of 100 degrees or warmer.

Additional information will be posted on the Beltrami County Emergency Services Facebook page.