With meteorological spring upon us, the Muscatine County Emergency Management Agency wants to remind those in the county to start preparing for severe storms.
On average, Muscatine County residents can experience thunderstorm warnings for storms that are capable of producing damaging winds, lightning, hail, and even tornadoes.
The Muscatine County Emergency Management Commission is in the process of updating the outdoor warning system sirens, many of which were the 1960’s civil defense warning devices. Each year, the Commission approves a budget to replace four (4) sirens for the fiscal year.
In cooperation with the Muscatine Area Geographic Information Consortium (MAGIC), a link has been created for Muscatine County residents to pinpoint where the outdoor warning sirens are located. Click on the following link to view the locations: OUTDOOR SIRENS.
Free National Weather Service Storm Spotter Training
For those interested in becoming storm spotters, the National Weather Service will be conducting both an in-person and virtual (on-line) training. Storm spotter training will be held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 15, at Calvary Church in Muscatine. Classes cover severe weather hazards including thunderstorms and tornadoes, the general structure and movement of severe thunderstorms, identification of important storm features, and safety concerns.
All in-person and virtual classes to be conducted by the NWS Quad Cities office, and all classes last about 2 hours. Classes are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required for virtual classes. Classes are appropriate for all ages, but ages 10 and up will likely get the most out of the training.
Click QUAD CITIES STORM WATCHERS for more information or visit the Storm Spotter Training event notification on Facebook.
Testing and Activation of the Muscatine County-Wide Outdoor Warning System
The Muscatine County Emergency Management Agency has established a Guidance policy for Testing and Activation of the Muscatine County-Wide Outdoor Warning System. As a reminder, sirens are used to alert those who are outdoors of an imminent hazard and prompt them to go indoors and seek further information. The information will be available to the general public through the county and other municipalities’ websites.
For more information, visit the Emergency Management website, and follow them on Facebook.