Update on Aug. 27 EF-0 tornado and outdoor weather sirens
Severe thunderstorms moved through the Twin Cities metro on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 27. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Ramsey County for winds in excess of 60 mph. No tornado warning was issued.
On Aug. 28, the NWS investigated a small number of damage reports on Saint Paul’s East Side and determined that a brief, small, EF-0 tornado passed through at roughly 9 p.m. Saturday. There was damage to shingles and downed tree limbs in the area. There was no major structural damage and have been no reported injuries.
Outdoor sirens and tornado warnings
Some residents have asked why the outdoor warning sirens did not sound Saturday evening. We appreciate people taking the time to inquire about issues that impact their safety and welcome the chance to provide more information.
Outdoor warning sirens are used for several reasons, most commonly when:
- A tornado warning is issued by the NWS or as a result of a report from a trained spotter or first responder.
- A severe thunderstorm warning is issued for winds in excess of 70 mph.
Tornado warnings are issued by the NWS or first responders when a tornado is confirmed in any of several ways:
- The National Weather Service identifies a tornado on radar. This is how most tornados warnings are issued. When this happens, the NWS system maps out the likely path and sends that to emergency communications centers in the region. If the projected path touches a siren in Ramsey County, that siren is activated. This happens almost instantaneous and is the same system used to activate home weather alert radios and smartphone apps. If radar indicates a severe tornado or winds in excess of 80 mph, the national Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system automatically sends a message to smartphones in the projected path.
- Trained weather spotters identify the tornado.
- First responders report a probable tornado.
Based on the information available to the NWS, Ramsey County’s Emergency Communications Center and other first responders as they were monitoring weather conditions Saturday evening, the storms did not meet the criteria for activating the sirens or issuing a tornado warning. Radar did not indicate a tornado, and no spotters or responders reported one to the Emergency Communications Center.
While the news headlines of tornadoes touching down in Ramsey County are understandably concerning, this tornado was very brief, very small and very weak. Ramsey County typically experiences several storms with more dangerous wind speeds and weather conditions each year. Please know that our systems continue to operate and will notify you of dangers in your neighborhood whenever possible.