(Spirit Lake)– It’s been very quiet so far this spring when it comes to severe weather. That may be about to change, though. The National Weather Service says there’s a possibility of severe thunderstorms later this week…beginning late Tuesday afternoon and continuing perhaps through Friday. That has Mike Ehret, Dickinson County’s Emergency Management Coordinator, reminding everyone about outdoor sirens and the policy for sounding them. Ehret says the first thing everyone needs to keep in mind is that outdoor warning systems are just as their name implies–they’re intended strictly for those outdoors within earshot. He says once you hear the sirens go off, you need to get in a shelter immediately. For those who are inside, Ehret says you need to have an AM/FM radio or weather radio nearby.
Ehret says the Dickinson County Communications Center activates the sirens whenever the National Weather Service issues a tornado WARNING or when a spotter sees a tornado or developing tornado.
Ehret says people should refrain from calling 911 whenever the sirens are sounded. He says the dispatchers have their hands full the way it is without getting calls from people wondering why the sirens are going off. And he says it hampers efforts in dispatching emergency crews.
Ehret says the county and cities continue to expand the network of outdoor warning systems. Three new sirens are being installed in Lake Park, and efforts are underway to install sirens in some of the heavily developed areas of the county. Ehret says that will be done as finances allow.
Additional information regarding this story may be found at www.dickinsoncountysheriff.com/oem.
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