Severe Weather Awareness Week may be over, but the need to be alert to severe weather in Minnesota is just beginning. From thunderstorms to tornadoes, and everything that goes along with them including dangerous lightning, hail, strong winds and flash flooding, severe weather is a normal occurrence in the Mid-West. Minnesota is no exception.
Those who have lived here for years know all about this type of weather, how quickly it occurs, how short the advance warning, if any, can be, and what to do to stay safe. However, those who are visiting or recently moved to our wonderful state may be in for a shock. The lack of awareness about Minnesota’s severe spring weather can also be deadly.
Here are a few things that anyone visiting or moving to Minnesota should be aware of:
- Thunderstorms. Anytime a cold front or warm front comes through the area, chances are it will bring rain or even thunderstorms. Thunder is harmless, but the accompanying lightning can be deadly. If you hear thunder, try to be indoors. If hail or strong winds are included in the storm, stay away from windows and large trees in case they break from the force. If in doubt about the weather, check the weather forecast. If no severe thunderstorm watches or warnings have been issued, then chances are the storm is relatively benign. Any storm can become severe pretty quickly though, often without any warning.
Flash Floods. More deadly than lightning, wind or tornados, flash flooding is a common threat from rain-filled thunderstorms. It is not unheard of for a Minnesota thunderstorm to produce up to 10 inches of rain in half a day. This kind of downpour not only makes driving through low lying areas hazardous, but can result in flooding danger to homes and businesses as well. If a road has a barrier, do not cross through. If a road appears covered with water, do not drive through it. Puddles won’t cause you much harm, but a road completely covered with flowing water could have been washed out. Only 2 feet of water is enough to wash your car along with it. If authorities suggest you should evacuate a location, take them seriously and do it. Keep your cell phone with you in case you do get caught in a flash flood and need to call for help.
Tornados. Those of us who grew up in the Midwest know a great deal about tornados, but someone new to this type of weather may know only what they have seen on TV or in movies such as The Wizard of Oz and Twister. Much of Hollywood’s tornadic weather is quiet dramatized or all together pure fiction. Around here, tornados almost always are associated with severe thunderstorms, so a small amount of an alert should go off in your head anytime a thunderstorm approaches. There is no need to panic, just check the weather on TV or Internet, or listen to a local radio station or a weather radio. Weather forecasters pretty much know what conditions are favorable for tornados, so if they don’t seem concerned you are probably in the clear.
- Tornado sirens. Most communities in the Minneapolis area have tornado sirens. These do double duty as emergency alert sirens as well, but the sound they produce is different in that case. A long steady siren either means they are testing them, which is almost always pre-scheduled and only during clear weather, or it means that a tornado warning has been issued for the area. If it’s the later, seek shelter immediately. Acceptable shelter from a tornado basically means a basement, reinforced internal room, or other storm shelter. Do not attempt to ride out a tornado from your car, truck or even a mobile home; tornados pick these up and throw them like they are children’s toys. Do not be surprised if you see true Midwesterners heading outside with their eyes on the clouds and cameras in tow; just don’t follow them! Ask them where a safe place is, they will know even if they don’t utilize that knowledge.
Whether you have been here for years or you are looking to relocate to Edina or the surrounding area, give me a call and we can look for a house with a secure storm shelter, or one that has one nearby.
For more information about Minnesota’s severe weather and precautions, visit www.severeweather.state.mn.us.
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Whether you are looking in Edina or elsewhere in Hennepin County, contact me, Kim Melin, today.
Check out my website for help in buying a home in the Minneapolis area.
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