RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Friday’s potentially damaging winds have many people and agencies on high alert, including the South Dakota Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol.

The agencies are working together to keep drivers safe when traveling throughout South Dakota in the next few days.

With the upcoming windstorm, the South Dakota DOT’s region operations engineer, Tom Horan, said they will be placing messages on their panel boards on highways this evening.

The messages include warning drivers traveling in semi-trucks, empty campers or other high-profile vehicles that they are at risk of tipping over due to the strong winds.

“Besides the message panels, some of the things that we have to deal with are downed trees,” said Horan. “We do have to set up if trees tip over, if trucks tip over on the edge of the road. We have set up traffic control and make sure that people get around those areas safely.”

State trooper for the South Dakota Highway Patrol, Brandon Allen, said they’re out in certain locations and can give up-to-date information on weather conditions that helps the DOT prepare their messages and get them sent out.