Severe Storms Awareness Activities

21 March 2016 Weather

With the beginning of Spring comes the annual review of what you need to know to stay safe during severe storm season. Share these links and points with family, friends and co-workers at any time and various times throughout the season.

Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week March 21st – 25th, 2016 – – 

West Virginia: Severe Weather and Flood Safety Week – March 21-25, 2016

Virginia: Tornado Preparedness Day: Tuesday, March 22, 2016

*****VIRGINIA TORNADO DRILL AT 945 AM TUESDAY MARCH 22ND*****

TOMORROW, TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2016, IS TORNADO PREPAREDNESS DAY IN VIRGINIA. AT 945 AM, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONDUCT A STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL. ALL NWS OFFICES SERVING VIRGINIA WILL ISSUE DRILL TORNADO MESSAGES AT THAT TIME. THE PURPOSE OF THIS DRILL IS TO PROVIDE SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTIVATE AND TEST THEIR EMERGENCY PLANS FOR TORNADOES.

…VIRGINIA TORNADO DRILL INFORMATION… THE VIRGINIA TORNADO DRILL WILL UTILIZE A TEST TORNADO WARNING… JUST AS IN 2015. ALL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES WILL ISSUE THIS TEST TORNADO WARNING UNDER THE STANDARD TORNADO WARNING PRODUCT. NOAA WEATHER RADIO WILL TRANSMIT THE TEST WARNING AS IT NORMALLY WOULD FOR A REAL TORNADO EVENT. AND THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) WILL ALSO BE ACTIVATED AS IF THE DRILL WERE AN ACTUAL TORNADO WARNING. HOWEVER…THE PRODUCT TEXT WILL CLEARLY INDICATE THAT IT IS A TEST, AND NOT AN ACTUAL TORNADO WARNING. THEREFORE, ANYONE RECEIVING THE TORNADO DRILL VIA NOAA WEATHER RADIO, OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION, WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT THE ACTIVATION IS FOR TORNADO DRILL PURPOSES.