North Mankato schedules outdoor warning siren testing April 20-24

Residents of North Mankato may hear intermittent siren sounds next week as the city conducts testing of its outdoor warning siren system. The testing is scheduled to take place from Monday, April 20, through Friday, April 24, 2026.

The siren tests are part of a larger county-wide initiative to assess the effectiveness and reliability of the outdoor warning siren network. This project is being coordinated in partnership with Blue Earth County Emergency Management and neighboring communities.

During the testing period, residents can expect brief and occasional siren activations. These sounds may occur at various times throughout the day and evening. The city emphasized that these sounds will be part of the assessment and not an indication of an actual emergency.

In the event of a real tornado warning, the outdoor warning sirens are designed to sound continuously for two full minutes. This testing aims to ensure the system functions correctly when needed most.

The city thanks residents for their understanding as this important work is undertaken to maintain a dependable emergency alert system for the community.