Citywide Tornado Drill Scheduled for Wednesday

Published on April 13, 2026

Sioux Falls will hold its annual community tornado drill on Wednesday, April 15, at 10:15 a.m. as part of South Dakota’s Weather Awareness Week. Schools, businesses and residents are encouraged to practice their severe weather plans during the drill. The City of Sioux Falls’ outdoor warning sirens will be activated at 10:15 a.m.

“Preparation and practice are critical as we enter another severe weather season,” said Regan Smith, the city’s emergency manager. “We urge everyone, especially those responsible for our most vulnerable residents, to know their plans and understand how to carry them out.”

In addition to activating outdoor warning sirens, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are issued for tornado warnings or destructive thunderstorm warnings, the highest thunderstorm category with 80 mph and greater winds and 2.75-inch hail, and are sent to cellphones in the Sioux Falls area. A WEA will not be issued for Wednesday’s community drill. WEAs are not issued for weather watches. For details on National Weather Service watches and warnings, visit weather.gov/fsd.

The city maintains and operates an extensive system of outdoor warning sirens. The system is designed to provide early warnings primarily for people who are outside and away from an information device, such as a phone, TV or radio. The sirens are not intended to be heard indoors. Multiple factors — including the hum of air conditioners, background noise, or thunder, rain and wind — can make them difficult to hear inside.

“Residents shouldn’t rely solely on outdoor warning sirens to alert them to dangerous weather when they’re indoors,” Smith said. “WEAs have been a valuable tool, providing an additional layer of warning for the public, especially for those inside. As a backup, we recommend investing in a programmable National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio and keeping it in your bedroom with the tone alert enabled. These radios are also useful if you lose power or telecommunications service.”

What to do when the sirens activate:

When outdoor warning sirens sound or a WEA for severe weather is issued, seek shelter immediately and remain there until the threat has passed.

In homes:

Residents should go to the basement or to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest level.
Take shelter under a sturdy object, such as a staircase.
Stay away from windows and do not attempt to open them.

In mobile homes:

Residents living in mobile homes should leave immediately and take shelter in a substantial shelter.
Know how long it takes to reach your designated shelter and plan to arrive before a warning is issued or sirens sound. Tornadoes can form with little or no advance notice.

In schools, malls, or other public buildings:

Go to a predesignated shelter area. Use interior hallways or restrooms for best protection.
Stay away from large windows and other glass areas.
Avoid large spaces such as gyms and dining halls.

In vehicles:

Vehicles are not safe during a tornado. The safest option is to seek shelter in a sturdy nearby building.
If no building is available, you should either abandon your vehicle and lie flat in a low-lying area or ditch with your hands covering your head or remain in your vehicle with your seat belt on and your head down. Neither option is safe and should be used only as a last resort.

Outdoors:

If possible, move indoors. The same safety guidelines used for sheltering in a vehicle apply here. No matter where you take cover, your top priority is protecting yourself from flying or falling debris.

South Dakota’s Severe Weather Awareness Week runs April 13-17. For more information about the city’s Emergency Management team, visit siouxfalls.gov/emergencymanagement.