This is only a drill …

Warning sirens will blare twice Thursday (April 23) as part of Minnesota’s Tornado Drill Day.

The first statewide drill is at 1:45 p.m. and will allow schools, businesses, hospitals and other organizations to practice their emergency plan. The second drill, at 6:55 p.m., will allow families and second-shift workers to practice their emergency plans.

The event is part of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Severe Weather Awareness week. More information, including safety tips, maps of historical tornado activity and photos of past flood damage is available online at www.severeweather.state.mn.us.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)