CHICAGO — Severe Weather Preparedness Week kicked off in Illinois on Monday and Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is encouraging all Illinois residents to take part in a statewide tornado drill this week.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the annual statewide tornado drill will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The statewide drill comes a little over a week after a rare February tornado outbreak, when a round of intense storms battered parts of the state with strong winds, hail and rain, leaving behind a path of damage.
The NWS later confirmed that 11 tornados touched down in Illinois on Tuesday night, including 10 in Chicagoland.
What will happen during Wednesday’s statewide tornado drill?
The NWS will issue a routine weekly test (RWT) to NOAA Weather Radios to initiate the drill on Wednesday morning, residents across the state can also expect brief interruptions on TV and radio stations during the drill.
The test will come one day after a monthly siren test, which takes place on the first Tuesday of each month, so tornado sirens are not expected during Wednesday’s drill.
What can Illinois residents do to prepare for the statewide tornado drill?
The NWS advises residents to treat the drill as if it were an actual Tornado Warning.
“The purpose of the drill is to test everyone’s readiness for life-threatening severe weather events such as tornadoes, flash floods, and damaging winds,” the NWS said in a statement.
Residents are advised to familiarize themselves with NWS watches and warnings and identify safe places where they can seek shelter.
What is Illinois Severe Weather Preparedness Week?
Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which is an effort by the OEMC to make sure residents are prepared for severe weather in the spring and summer, begins on Monday, March 4, and runs through Friday, March,8.
Throughout the week, OEMC will provide safety and preparedness tips to residents, offering a new theme each day.
The following themes will be highlighted throughout the week:
- Monday: Receiving Warnings
- Tuesday: Lightning
- Wednesday: Tornadoes
- Thursday: Hail/Wind
- Friday: Flash Flooding
Visit the National Weather Service website for more details on Severe Weather Preparedness Week and for tips on how to prepare for a severe weather event.
