Emergency preparedness

Severe weather, such as winter storms, heavy rain and extreme cold, can cause:
- Property damage
- Flooding
- Injury and death
- Power and communications outages
Prepare
To prepare for severe weather, you can:
- Read our City's severe weather fact sheets
- Learn more about flood zones and flood insurance
- Find out where to get sand bags in Minneapolis
- Watch videos on using a weather radio (available in multiple languages)
- Create a home emergency supply kit
- Make a plan for your pets and animals
Warnings
Minneapolis provides several warnings about severe weather:
- Sirens:
- We use sirens for many types of severe weather.
- When you hear a siren, find shelter and check for updated local weather and news.
- Sirens sound for about three minutes and then go silent.
- Emails and phone calls:
- Anyone can sign up for emergency notifications from the City.
- Sign up for emails and phone calls
Public health
The Minnesota Department of Health leads Minnesota's response to public health emergencies. The City works closely with them on public health emergencies like the coronavirus.
See Minneapolis coronavirus resources
Public safety
Here's what to do about the following public safety issues:
- Hazardous materials: See tips from Ready.gov
- Terrorist activity: Contact the FBI tip line
- Suspicious activity in Minneapolis: See all the ways to report a crime or incident
How to help and prepare
Sign up for emergency notifications
You can sign up to receive emergency notifications from the City by email and phone on topics of importance to you.
Contact us
Emergency Management
Phone
Address
Emergency Operations Training Facility25 37th Ave. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55421
Office hours
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday – Friday