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WXTEST: 2013 Severe Weather Awareness Week includes Tornado Drill

| by Henry Luker

Written by the National Weather Service in Des Moines
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The Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service have declared the week of March 25th through March 29th, 2013 Severe Weather Awareness Week. Severe Weather Awareness Week is an annual event to remind Iowans that severe weather is part of living in our state and that understanding the risks and how to respond to them can save lives.

What’s new for 2013

Impact Based Warnings – The Impact Based Warning (IBW) experimental product is an effort to better communicate severe weather threats with National Weather Service warnings.  Checkout the IBW page here.

Wireless Emergency Alerts –  2013 will be first complete severe weather season with Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA).  Click here to learn about WEA and how the alerts might impact how you receive a warning

New and improved severe weather preparedness pages on the NWS Des Moines website. Click here

YouTube Preparedness Videos – This section is under construction – The National Weather Service recently added a YouTube page.  Our YouTube page will include Multi-Media Web Briefings for upcoming hazardous weather, short preparedness videos and more.  Here is a link to our YouTube page.   For Severe Weather Awareness Week 2013, here are the YouTube videos we hope to produce:

  • Tornado Safety – Advice about where to take cover from tornadoes! Click here for details (under construction until after severe weather week)
  • Severe Thunderstorm Safety – Why are severe thunderstorms with extremely high winds and large hail so dangerous?.  Click here for details (under construction until after severe weather week)
  • Flash Flood Safety – What should you do if there is a flash flood? Click here for details (under construction until after severe weather week)
  • Outdoor Warning Sirens – Confused about outdoor warning sirens?  Click here for some answers (under construction until after severe weather week)
  • Family Preparedness – How should your family prepare for a disaster?  Click here for details (under construction until after severe weather week)
  • What is a Watch?  – What does a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch mean? Click here for video

Media interviews concerning severe weather week are encouraged and should be directed to Jeff Johnson, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Des Moines, IA.  Please use any of our Podcasts which were produced with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management for severe weather, flooding and winter weather safety.   click here

The highlight of the week will be the tornado drill on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.  The Iowa test will occur at the same date and time as the Nebraska test.

Tornado Test Details – Details are subject to change

The FCC has granted Iowa a waiver for the 2013 tornado drill.  Therefore,  the real Emergency Alert System (EAS) warning codes for test messages will be used during the drill.  We thank the Iowa EAS Chairmen for requesting the waiver for the test. 

 9:50 AM – Storm Prediction Center (SPC) coordinates with Iowa/Nebraska National Weather Service (NWS) offices about a test tornado watch for Iowa and Nebraska.

10:00 AM – SPC issues Test Tornado Watch for Iowa and Nebraska.  Each Iowa/Nebraska NWS offices will issue test Watch Coordination Notification messages.  Test watch will be toned alerted on NOAA All Hazards Radio and sent through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) as a test message.

10:10 AM – NWS Sioux Falls and Omaha issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties.

10:15 AM– NWS Des Moines and Quad Cities issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties.

10:20 AM – NWS La Crosse issues test tornado warning for their Iowa counties.

10:30-10:35 AM – All Iowa NWS offices issues a Severe Weather Statement to terminate the test warnings.

11:00 AM – Test tornado watch expires.

If severe weather threatens on Wednesday – March 27th, the test will be conducted on Thursday – March 28th at the same time.  Nebraska offices will issue tornado warnings for their Nebraska counties at a locally determined schedule.

Daily Informative Posts

During severe awareness week, the Iowa Weather Blog will be promoting severe weather awareness week by posting a special informative post each day based that day’s topic (see below)

Monday – The focus on Monday will be flash flooding.  Flash flooding is the most deadly thunderstorm threat in the United States.  Never drive into a flooded area!

Tuesday – On Tuesday we will discuss warning reception.  Over the years, the ways to get hazardous weather warnings have changed.  Today, we will focus on how to get a warning.  Do you know how you get a warning?  

Wednesday – Today is tornado day.  In 2011, over 500 people died in the United States from tornadoes!   Do you know where the safest place is in your home or car?

Thursday – This is severe thunderstorm day.  Hundreds of severe thunderstorms hit Iowa each year.  Did you know severe thunderstorms can be as dangerous as tornadoes?

Friday – Family Preparedness. Learn about family safety from natural and man made hazards.