THE CHIEF'S VIEW

Our last storm brought our region a tornado warning, straight-line winds, flickering power, and heavy rain. Did you receive a warning on your phone, TV or radio? Were you outside and did you hear the sirens?
Minnesota weather can change quickly and if you are caught off guard you could be hurt or killed. Here are a few tips to help you avoid trouble this spring and summer:

Trust the warning and weather alerts – just because the last storm missed us doesn't mean it will this time.
Before you go anywhere take a look at the current and predicted weather and have a plan if the weather changes for the worse.
Sirens are for people who are outside alerting them to take shelter. Sirens are not designed for people who are indoors.
Do you have flashlights, candles, water, ready-to-eat snacks, and a charged phone at hand during a storm?
When in doubt don’t travel. Don’t try to outrun a storm. Find shelter and wait until the storm passes.
Only call 911 if you have an emergency. People often call 911 with questions and overload a dispatch center.
When the storm is over beware of downed power lines, flooded roads, and debris. Don’t become part of the problem.