Fairfax County Urges Participation In March Tornado Drill

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA—On average Virginia can receive 18 tornadoes each year, according to the NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. Some may recall deadlier natural disasters like the fatal tornado event impacting numerous places on Feb. 24, 2016. The tornado in Waverly, Va. killed three people in a mobile home, while another in Evergreen, Va. resulted in one fatality. These storms are a stark reminder that Virginians must prepare for the possibility of tornadoes and other natural disasters.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management and National Weather Service will hold the annual Statewide Tornado Drill on Tuesday, March 19 at 9:45 a.m. In the case of severe weather, the drill will be rescheduled for Wednesday, March 20 at 9:45 a.m.

The event is intended to be an opportunity for residents to prepare for tornadoes and test public warning systems. At 9:45 a.m., the National Weather Service will send a test tornado warning over NOAA Weather Radios. The test will result in a tone alert, show a test message or flash to indicate a message, like what residents would receive during an actual tornado warning. Local radio stations, TV stations and cable outlets will also broadcast the test message via the Emergency Alert System.

Fairfax County's emergency management department encourages residents to participate in the drill. Residents can sign up their families and businesses to participate. In recent years, 1 million Virginians have signed up.

Participating residents should practice sheltering in place. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management encourages residents to follow these steps when the drill begins:

• Announce the start of the drill by using a public address system or having designated volunteers alert the members of your group. Do this by going room to room, floor by floor of your building.
• Everyone should act as though a tornado warning has been issued for the immediate area or a tornado has been sighted near the building. They should move as quickly as possible to the nearest safe place. Use stairs to reach the lowest level of a building; avoid using elevators.
• Remind participants that when they reach their safe area during a real tornado threat, they must crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down and covering their heads with their hands. Ensure that everyone in your group knows this.
• After everyone has moved to a safe place, the drill coordinator can announce that the tornado has passed and the drill is over.

For more information about how to keep yourself, your loved ones and property safe during tornadoes, click here.