Daniel Prince
Statewide tornado drill scheduled today
This is Severe Weather and Flood Safety Week in South Carolina. The SC Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service will be conducting a statewide tornado drill today. The National Weather Service will initiate the drill over NOAA weather radios this morning at around 9 a.m. The Emergency Alert System will be triggered, and the broadcast will state, “This is a practice TEST tornado warning message from the National Weather Service, as part of the Severe Weather and Flood Safety Week for the state of South Carolina.” It will go on to ask listeners and viewers to think about what they would do wherever they are to protect themselves and their families in the event of a real tornado. The drill had been scheduled for Wednesday but was moved due to the potential for actual severe weather. The annual tornado drill is conducted in coordination with the National Weather Service, the SC Emergency Management Division, the SC Broadcasters Association, and the SC Department of Education.
During a tornado, when under a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately. Get indoors to a pre-designated shelter area, whether a basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level, such as a closet or interior hallway away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. If in a vehicle, trailer, or mobile home, get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or storm shelter. If outside and unable to get indoors, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of potential flooding and flying debris. If in your vehicle, never try to outrun a tornado; instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.
For more information on the best steps to take before, during, and after a tornado, visit scemd.org. It also has a variety of other emergency preparedness resources.