It is Severe Weather Awareness Week in South Dakota and Wednesday, April 24th is the day of the statewide tornado drill. A test Tornado Watch will be issued at 10 am and a test Tornado Warning will be issued at 10:15 am. Sirens will sound across the state of South Dakota when the test Tornado Warning is issued. In addition, you will likely get an alert on your phone or mobile device. This is the time to plan for severe weather. Know your shelter and be sure kids know where to go and what to do when severe weather strikes.

Another very important part of your severe weather safety plan is having a weather radio. Get a weather radio! A weather radio will wake you when severe weather strikes at night. Weather radios are different now. A weather radio with SAME technology (which is almost all of the new weather radios you will find on the market today) will only activate when severe weather is impacting your area.

If you need a weather radio, or if you have one but need help with programming, we’d love to give you a hand. This Friday from 11 am until 1 pm, Phil Schreck will be at the downtown Nyberg’s Ace programming weather radios. Next Monday from 5 pm until 7 pm, I will be at the 41st and Minnesota Nyberg’s Ace to help you program your weather radio. Bring your weather radio from home, or you can get one there (they’ll be on sale.) It doesn’t matter where you got your weather radio, we just want to be sure you have one and that it’s properly set and ready to go for the upcoming severe weather season.