Lake of the Woods County Emergency Management

08/20/2026

08/06/2026

What is Emergency Management?
Disasters are inevitable, but catastrophes are not.
Emergency management is the profession that:
• Helps communities and organizations prepare, respond, recover, and adapt
• Brings partners together to solve complex problems, reduce harm, and restore stability during emergencies.

Emergency management isn’t just about reacting; it’s also about planning in advance, coordinating under pressure, and developing lasting resilience.

08/05/2026

Reminder: Outdoor siren testing will take place today, August 5th at 1:30 pm.

07/13/2026

07/01/2026

🚨 Monthly Siren Test Alert! 🚨 Heads up: our routine siren test is happening today, July 1st at 1:30 PM. This is only a test!

06/30/2026

Make sure you have Emergency notifications for Weather related activity. Stay safe.

06/03/2026

🚨 Monthly Siren Test Alert! 🚨 Just a heads-up—our routine siren test is happening today, June 3rd at 1:30 PM. This is only a test!

05/14/2026

‼️Update. The National Weather Service has expanded the Red Flag across central and northern Minnesota. Additional counties include: Aitkin, Beltrami, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake Of The Woods, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, St. Louis, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena ‼️
Due to dry conditions, high winds, and low humidity, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for today, May 14, for parts of northwest, west central, and southwest Minnesota.

While the Red Flag Warning is in effect:
❌Don’t burn brush and yard debris!
⚠️Be extra cautious with outdoor activities that could produce heat or a spark. Campfires are discouraged.
✔️Check ash piles from wood-burning stoves or heaters and any recent fire for lingering heat. Embers can stay hot for days, even months, and rekindle in Red Flag conditions. If you find heat, drown with water, stir, and repeat until it's out COLD.

‼️The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Friday, May 15, for most of central and northern Minnesota. Fire Weather Watches are evolving situations and can quickly progress to Red Flag conditions. Use caution and check conditions before burning.

Remember, only you can prevent wildfires!

Burning restrictions are in place for many counties. Check current fire danger and restrictions at www.mndnr.gov/burnrestrictions

05/13/2026

Class offerings are extremely limited this year, and this is likely the only in-person class being offered in the NW Region for 2026. Online training courses are available at https://www.weather.gov/fgf/stormspotting.

Pssst... we were lucky and were able to sneak in a Severe Weather Spotter Training ('Skywarn') in Bemidji taught by the National Weather Service Grand Forks Office. In-person classes are extremely limited across the region this year. This class is free and open to the public. No prerequisites are required.

Thursday, May 21, 2026 - 6PM
Beltrami County Boardroom
701 Minnesota Ave NW
Bemidji, MN 56601

Learn the importance of ground truth and verification through trained weather spotters. Attendees will be given a presentation on the basics of severe weather and how to make meaningful credible reports to the NWS to enhance warnings.

[Image: Beltrami County Sheriff squad car on a roadway covered in debris following a tornado warned storm. Text with the class details listed in the post.]