Otter Tail County Urges Residents to Prepare During Severe Weather Awareness Week

Weather spotters confirmed a tornado near Vining last June, roughly 24 miles east of Fergus Falls, as severe storm cells moved through Otter Tail County in one of multiple tornado warnings to hit the region in 2025. That backdrop prompted county Emergency Manager Patrick Waletzko to issue a community advisory April 6, calling on households, businesses, and schools to use Severe Weather Awareness Week, April 13 through 17, as a firm deadline for getting prepared.

Waletzko urged residents to build or refresh emergency supply kits, identify specific shelter locations, and register for the county's location-based alert services before the week begins. Minnesota averages 29 tornadoes per year, according to state data, and recorded 64 in 2021 alone, including 22 in a single day.

The week's programming is organized by daily theme: alerts and warnings Monday, lightning and hail Tuesday, flooding Wednesday, tornadoes Thursday, and heat Friday. The centerpiece falls on Thursday, April 16, when statewide tornado drills will trigger outdoor warning sirens across Otter Tail County at 1:45 p.m. and again at 6:45 p.m. The afternoon siren is directed at schools and businesses; the evening drill is built for families and second-shift workers who may be at home or off-site during daytime hours.

The advisory underscores one rule that catches many residents off guard: there is no all-clear siren after a drill or a real severe weather event. Once sirens sound, move to an interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy structure, stay away from windows, and wait for official confirmation through a battery-powered radio, phone alerts, or the county's Rave emergency notification platform before emerging.

Otter Tail County's size and rural character make this preparation more consequential than in denser areas. With lakeshore communities, farm operations, and scattered homes across remote townships, emergency response times stretch well beyond what urban residents experience. The county holds Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador status in partnership with the National Weather Service, and the advisory reinforces that designation with specific, actionable steps residents can complete in a single evening.

Signing up for Smart911 allows residents to receive storm alerts by phone, text, or email tied to their physical location. Businesses and facilities that serve people with special needs can create a profile through Rave, giving first responders critical information before they arrive on scene. Supply kits should include water, nonperishable food, flashlights, batteries, and essential medications. The county's online preparedness resources and the Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management toolkit provide checklists and planning templates for any household that wants a structured starting point before the April 16 sirens sound.