​ Pinellas County To Take Part In Great Tornado Drill Jan. 29

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County is encouraging residents to participate in the annual statewide Great Tornado Drill at 10 a.m. Jan. 29.

School districts, businesses and organizations will take advantage of the opportunity to practice severe weather plans and emergency communications.

On the morning of the drill, all participants should consider themselves under a Tornado Watch. A watch means conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. Residents should monitor the weather and prepare to go to a safe place in the event of a Tornado Warning.

At 10 a.m., residents who are signed up for emergency alerts through Alert Pinellas will receive a test message. Participants should consider themselves under a Tornado Warning and act as though a warning has been issued by taking cover immediately. A Tornado Warning means that conditions are conducive to tornado development or that a tornado has been spotted in the area. A warning should cause a higher level of concern than a watch. The drill ends at 10:30 a.m.

"Tornadoes can occur any time of the year, and they come without much warning,"said Cathie Perkins, director of Pinellas County Emergency Management. "The goal of the drill is for people to make a plan if a tornado warning is issued. It is important to know where your safe place would be at home, work, school or even out in public."

In October 2019, Tropical Storm Nestor produced an EF-0 tornado with winds of more than 65 mph in Seminole. The storm damaged homes, buildings and power lines.

Pinellas County urges all residents to sign up for Alert Pinellas to get emergency notifications. The free service will call, text and email residents with important notices, like tornado warnings, affecting their safety.

Before the drill, residents should review National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association safety tips.

On the day of the drill, residents are invited to post selfies of themselves taking cover at #PCTornadoDrill.