March 20-26, 2016 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Indiana.
The National Weather Service, in conjunction with the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Broadcasters Association, the American Red Cross, and Amateur Radio Operators will conduct a statewide test of communication systems on Tuesday, March 22 at 10:15 AM and 7:35 PM EDT.
Important – while the drill will be sent using live TOR EAS coding (Tornado Warning), it is only a test, and will be postponed to Wednesday, March 23 if weather conditions warrant.
As part of NWS efforts to build a Weather Ready Nation, the goal of Severe Weather Preparedness Week is to better educate people about the hazards of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, and to help everyone be prepared when severe weather occurs. Each day will focus on a different topic:
- Sunday: Kick-Off: Discuss partners’ roles in severe weather
- Monday: Severe Weather Outlooks and Watches: Partners’ roles at the outlook and watch stages of an event
- Tuesday: Warnings: Taking action when warnings are issued (Statewide Tornado Drill Day)
- Wednesday: Response: Partners’ roles in responding to disasters (real-time response)
- Thursday: Recovery: Partners’ roles in the recovery process (days/weeks/months after disaster)
- Friday: Weather Ready Nation: How we are working to build a Weather Ready Nation
- Saturday: Wrap-Up: Importance of preparedness and action during threatening hazards
Please read our Preparedness Week brochure (2.3MB pdf) for details. Click here (6.6MB pdf) for a kids’ activity booklet from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
What should you do at each step as severe weather threatens – outlook (hours to days in advance), watch (minutes to hours in advance), warning (event is threatening now)? Think READY (outlook), SET (watch), GO (warning)!
To help you be ready, find out how to get one tap access to the National Weather Service on your smartphone!
This week, we also remind Hoosiers to be aware of the under appreciated but deadly dangers of flooding.
Click the “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!” barriers below to learn more. Click the flood safety image to see a Turn Around, Don’t Drown PSA on YouTube.
