Statewide tornado drill March 8th

The National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, in conjunction with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, and local emergency management agencies, will conduct the annual statewide Severe Weather Awareness Week for both Kansas and Missouri March 7th through March 11th, 2011.

The statewide tornado drill for Kansas and Missouri, including the counties in the Pleasant Hill forecast and warning area, will take place on Tuesday, March 8th, at 1:30 p.m. The National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill will issue a test tornado warning as part of the drill. Local warning sirens, NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio, and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be activated upon receipt of this warning, to signal the start of the drill. Residents should treat the drill as if it were an actual tornado emergency. The purpose of the annual drill is to test everyone's readiness for life-threatening severe weather events such as tornadoes, flash floods, large hail, and damaging winds.

Daily themes during this week will include: 

Monday - Preparedness Day
Tuesday - Tornadoes Day
Wednesday - Flash Flood Day
Thursday - Thunderstorm Day
Friday - NOAA Weather Radio Day

The 2011 severe weather season can quickly become quite active across the country, so it is imperative you prepare now. Residents are encouraged to use this week, and the annual test day, to review their severe weather safety plans. Practice what you would do in a real severe weather emergency.

According to the National Weather Service, Missouri experienced 65 tornadoes in 2010, including multiple tornadoes on Dec. 31, which were responsible for five deaths and 13 injuries. Please take the time to participate in the drill to insure that your family will know exactly what to do in the event of a tornado emergency.