JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – As the weather slowly begins to transition to warmer temperatures, this week also serves as a reminder to transition to summer weather and the dangers it could bring.

April 27th through May 1st is Severe Summer Weather Awareness Week, which serves as a time to for residents to be prepared for any severe weather summer brings to North Dakota.

Stutsman County Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist says North Dakota is unique in the fact it can experience almost any type of summer weather at anytime.

This includes tornados, which may be rare, but can still occur.

Bergquist says residents should be on alert and prepared for any sort of weather event. He says this includes knowing the difference between a “watch” and “warning.”

Another part of the preparedness for the county includes testing tornado sirens. Bergquist says they will conduct siren tests at around 11:15 AM Wednesday, April 29th. This will activate sirens in Jamestown, Buchanan, Cleveland, Medina, and Streeter to ensure they are working correctly.

Bergquist encourages all Stutsman County residents to sign-up for the Stutsman County Alerts, which notify those in the event of a disaster or weather event. You can register for free here.

Listen to a full Let’s Talk About It with Jerry Bergquist below: