Drill will take place on Tuesday, March 16 at 9:45 a.m.
NORFOLK, VA – In an effort to prepare residents for tornado threats and test emergency alert systems, the City of Norfolk’s Department of Emergency Preparedness and Response (DEPR) will be participating in an annual statewide tornado drill taking place on Tuesday, March 16.
The drill will start at approximately 9:45 a.m. with a test tornado warning sent in the form of a required monthly test by the National Weather Service to National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios and local broadcasters. If widespread severe weather threatens the state on Tuesday, the drill will take place on Wednesday, March 17 at 9:45 a.m.
In addition to the tornado drill, the Department of Emergency Preparedness and Response advises residents to take the following steps to prepare and keep themselves and their families safe in the event of a tornado:
- Before a tornado hits, develop a plan by identifying safe rooms at home or at work you and your family can take shelter in when a tornado warning is issued. Pay attention to danger signs in the weather, such as a dark, greenish sky, large hail, dark, low-lying cloud formations or rotations or a loud roar, similar to the sound of a freight train. Lastly, create an emergency communication plan for your family and pay attention to local and social media for the latest information on weather conditions.
- During a tornado, follow the same steps listed above. If you live in a mobile home, evacuate immediately and go to the closest building or storm shelter. If you are unable to find shelter, get into a vehicle and buckle your seatbelt. Put your head down below the window and cover your head with your hands. If there is no car or shelter, try to find a ditch or area lower than the ground to lie down in. You will be safer in a low, flat location than you would be under a bridge or underpass.
- Build your emergency kit by downloading the state’s emergency checklist online at www.vaemergency.gov.
For more information on disaster preparedness, visit www.norfolk.gov/3987/Be-Prepared.