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.
Tuesday’s topic is tornado safety.
We talked with Warning Coordination Meteorologist Peter Rogers. He says this is the perfect time to identify the safe place that you have for seeking shelter from a tornado.
They also remind you that a tornado warning may be issued while you are anywhere. You could be at work, at school, at a game, at a worship service, at a business, or in several other places. Especially on days when a tornado watch has been issued, you are encouraged to plan where you would seek shelter at any given time.
Weather service officials also advise you that when a tornado WARNING is issued, listen to or read the entire warning, as a tornado warning is issued for everything from small to very large, multiple-vortex tornadoes. Find out what is predicted, when it’s supposed to happen, and what they want you to do, as all tornado warnings are not the same.
Statewide tornado drills will be conducted on Wednesday, March 25th, at 10 am CDT. The weather service tells us they will NOT be issuing any TEST Tornado Watches or Warnings. Instead, they will use their Weather Radio Weekly Test to increase awareness of the drill. Jurisdictions, schools, businesses, and private citizens are all encouraged to participate in any local drills. Outdoor warning sirens will be sounded in many locations.
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