Northwest Iowa — This is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa. Each day this week, the National Weather Service is focusing on a different severe weather topic.
Wednesday’s two-headed topic is the state tornado drill and preparedness.
We talked with Warning Coordination Meteorologist Peter Rogers from the Sioux Falls office. He says they suggest that everyone take part in the tornado drill.
Rogers says there are many ways to receive weather warnings. But he says, for your safety, make sure you’re not just depending on one type of device to receive the warnings, such as your phone.
Weather and Emergency Management officials remind you that while outdoor warning sirens do exist, they are really only to warn people who are caught outside without any other way of receiving warnings that there is a warning of some type.
Of course, you can also stay tuned to KIWA for the latest weather information, 24/7. But make sure that you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings. Device batteries sometimes go dead, power goes out, and even infrastructure fails. Perhaps the cell phone tower that is serving your phone will be taken out in the storm. If you only have one way of receiving warnings, now you are unprotected.
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KIWA Staff Photo
