When Ed Luckow stepped out on a late summer afternoon to grab dinner at the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, he didn’t expect to use his trusty Canon EOS 7D camera, but he was glad that his lifestyle as a retired photographer kept one waiting in the front seat of his car. “The backlighting from the sun made the shot really neat,” Luckow says. “Had I waited any longer I would have missed my opportunity.”
The dog days of summer bring the perfect environment for late summer boomers. Sitting north of the Plains states’ legendary “tornado alley,” Minnesota experiences fewer twisters than our neighbors to the south. According to the Storm Prediction Center at the National Weather Service, Minnesota’s 28 confirmed tornadoes in 2014 exceeded the yearly average of 19 set between 1961 and 1990, but still falls far short of the average 45 tornadoes per year that visited more recently, between 1991 and 2010.
We are fortunate to have responsive measures in place for threatening storms. In addition to countless outdoor warning sirens throughout the city, Maple Grove’s Emergency Management Program is formulated to prepare for and respond to emergencies in the area, preventing injuries, minimizing economic loss and saving lives. For more information about how Maple Grove can assist you in preparing your home or business for disasters such as tornadoes, winter storms or floods, contact the city of Maple Grove’s Fire Rescue department.
