Statewide tornado drill today
In conjunction with Severe Weather Awareness Week, the Missouri Statewide Tornado Drill will be held today, Tuesday, March 7, at 10 a.m.
According to the Missouri Storm Aware website at https://stormaware.mo.gov/, "Severe weather can strike at any time in Missouri, making it important for all of us to be prepared to find the most secure shelter available no matter where we are. The statewide tornado drill is an excellent opportunity for Missourians to practice their sheltering plans and ensure readiness in case of a severe weather emergency. The statewide drill provides schools, businesses and families with an opportunity to test their planning and readiness to be able to quickly seek appropriate shelter in case of a real severe weather emergency. By practicing and increasing readiness across the state, Missourians will feel confident and prepared in the event of actual severe weather emergencies."
The Statewide Tornado Drill will take place today at 10 a.m. and will be announced by NOAA weather radios and outdoor sirens. Participants should practice taking cover in their shelters.
The Statewide Tornado Drill is part of Missouri's Severe Weather Awareness week. Other events of the week include preparedness day on Monday, flash flood safety day on Wednesday, severe thunderstorm day on Thursday, and NOAA weather radio day on Friday.
According to weather.gov, since 2011, tornados have killed 164 people in Missouri and injured 1,272 others.
On average, 6 people die in Missouri each year due to tornados. One of the most recent deaths occurred on Feb. 28, when an EF-4 tornado struck north of Perryville, Mo.
In a March 4 article, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch identified the victim as 24-year-old Perryville resident Travis M. Koenig and said the tornado injured 12 others, and destroyed more than 60 homes.
For more information, you can find StormAware on Facebook at facebook.com/StormAware and on Twitter at twitter.com/MoStormAware.