Statewide Tornado Safety Drill is March 4, at 10:07 a.m. EST, 9:07 CST
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 1, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear signed a proclamation designating March 1-7, 2020, Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kentucky.
As part of severe weather awareness activities, a statewide tornado drill will occur at approximately 10:07 a.m. EST/9:07 a.m. CST, Wednesday, March 4. The drill is in partnership with the National Weather Service (NWS), Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KYEM), Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee and Kentucky Broadcasters Association.
Across Kentucky, outdoor warning sirens will sound, weather alert radios will activate and television and radio stations will broadcast the alert, along with mobile devices.
“Severe weather knows no boundaries and we must do everything we can to prepare and protect Kentucky families,” said Gov. Beshear. “This drill provides businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, government agencies and schools with a great opportunity to update emergency plans and practice ways to stay safe during a tornado.”
Earlier this month, Gov. Beshear responded to flooding in eastern Kentucky by declaring a state of emergency to assist counties with response efforts. Gov. Beshear and his team held a media briefing and toured the flooded areas on Feb. 13 to see first-hand the impact caused by heavy rainfall. Since the events, the Energy and Environment Cabinet announced $500,000 in grant funding available to qualifying counties for flood debris cleanup.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) damage assessment teams continue working with officials in the impacted counties and hope to conclude inspections in the coming days.
Gov. Beshear said that severe weather is the Commonwealth’s most constant threat, as evidenced by recent flooding conditions.
“Being prepared for severe weather starts with identifying threats and risks,” said Michael Dossett, director of KYEM. “Testing your emergency plan during Severe Weather Awareness Week with family members and co-workers helps ensure we all will be ready for the next severe weather event that threatens our Commonwealth.”
Gov. Beshear and Director Dossett urge Kentuckians to take time this week to prepare for severe weather.
A good tornado plan should:
- Designate a tornado sheltering area in an interior room on the lowest level of a building and away from windows. Basements are best, but if there is no basement, choose an interior bathroom, closet or other enclosed space on the lowest level of a building.
- Ensure employees or family members know where the designated shelter is located.
To conduct a tornado drill at home or work:
- Announce the start of the drill.
- Participants should act as though a tornado warning has been issued for the immediate area or a tornado has been sighted nearby.
- They should move as quickly as possible to the pre-designated tornado shelter.
- Once people reach a pre-designated safe area, they should crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down, covering their heads with their hands.
- Once everyone has reached safe shelter, announce the mock tornado has passed and the drill is complete.
- After the drill, perform an assessment. Determine if the designated shelter was large enough for everyone, easy to access and uncluttered.
- Help emergency managers and weather officials improve weather notifications and awareness campaigns by completing a short online survey, available at kyem.ky.gov/Preparedness/Pages/Tornado.aspx.
If caught outdoors and unable to access an indoor shelter during a tornado warning, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
Remember, outdoor sirens are designed to warn people outdoors to seek shelter immediately and NOT to warn indoor inhabitants. Tornadoes can, and do, strike each month of the year, during both day and night, when people are more vulnerable and may not have a television or radio turned on when a warning is issued. A battery back-up weather alert radio is recommended and is the most effective way to monitor and receive severe weather watches and warnings.
Weather safety tips, helpful links and resources can be found on KYEM’s website at kyem.ky.gov, where you can like and follow @KentuckyEM on Facebook and Twitter. Additional tornado safety information is also available at weather.gov/wrn/spring-safety, ready.gov/tornadoes and www.weather.gov.
The Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee asks that anyone posting to social media regarding the tornado drill, or other weather events, use the hashtag #kywx.
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