The West Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill and how to stay prepared
GHENT, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill will be on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 11:00 A.M.
Breezy conditions to peak Wednesday, increased fire threat
This is the time to practice your safety plan whether it be at work, home, or school. Planning and safety is crucial at this time and it is always good to be cognizant of your surroundings and the situation you may be in.
The following are helpful answers and tips that will help you before, during, and after the drill.
What should someone do if there was a real tornado?
This depends on their area and location. The tornado safety webpage for the National Weather Service tells you what to do according to the structure you are in.
Will the Tornado Drill set off the Emergency Alert System?
It might go off depending on your source. Most National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radios will go off for the drill if they are working well and able to receive a decent signal from any transmitter nearby. Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcast on local TV stations, radio stations and cable overrides might not even happen due to the test coding, which is included in the Tornado Warning test message.
Will the Tornado Drill turn on the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) on mobile phones?
It will not go off on your phone. WEA will pay no attention to the message and be identified as a TEST.
Will the Tornado Drill turn on the outdoor warning sirens?
Outdoor warning sirens are not always in every county or municipality. Even if there are sirens in that area, the decision to turn them on is decided by the Director of each County Emergency Management Agency.
Can the drill be done at the same time with the monthly siren test?
Sirens are tested at different times in different counties. The Statewide Tornado Drill is a coordinated exercise that is decided at a certain time.
What happens if there is bad weather on the day of the drill?
If there is a real significant weather change on the day of the drill, the drill will then be cancelled.
The Tornado Drill is not supposed to set off the cell phones, but why do some phones get the alert anyway?
Sometimes if your phone is set to get messages through a third-party vendor, some of them may still push the message to your cell phone. Sometimes others might not.
Why did my Weather Radio not go off?
Possibilities include:
Programmed or set to the right channel correctly. For Information on frequencies, coverage areas, and county codes go to www.weather.gov/rlx/nwr.
If you are near a border between County Warning Areas, and listening to a transmitter that is run by a different office than the one in your county. If this is the issue, your county may not have been included in the neighboring office’s test Tornado Warning, but only with the office that serves your county. This is done with the drill so that each transmitter broadcasts the test message only once. When an actual Tornado Warning is issued for your county, all transmitters will broadcast it.
Why do the tornado drill if the children are not in school?
The Statewide Tornado Drill is the time to practice your tornado safety plan. Tornadoes can happen any time, so it is important to have a plan.
Will there be an evening tornado drill?
No. Activating the EAS is not something that can be done multiple times. However, it is always good to discuss a plan for the evenings as well.
How do you program a weather radio with a SAME code?
Find your county code at www.weather.gov/rlx/nwr and follow the programming instructions for your radio.
West Virginia Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week: Emergency Alert Systems
For more information, visit https://www.weather.gov/rlx/Tornado-Drill-FAQ.
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