Missouri statewide tornado drill set for March 5 | Events

BENTON, MO (KFVS) - The Scott County Emergency Management Agency says the Missouri Statewide Tornado Drill and Severe Weather Awareness Week are good time to prepare for severe weather.

Missouri's StormAware website provides tornado sheltering videos, other safety resources to prepare for March 5 tornado drill during Missouri Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 4-8.

The National Weather Service, the State Emergency Management Agency and Missouri's local emergency management offices are asking Missourians  to use this week as an opportunity to plan and prepare for how they will react and shelter in response to severe weather.

 EMA officials say Missouri will conduct the 39th annual Statewide Tornado Drill on Tuesday, March 5 at 1:30 p.m. If severe weather is in the forecast on March 5, the drill will be moved to Thursday, March 7 at 1:30 p.m.

On March 5, outdoor warning sirens and weather alert radios will sound, indicating Missourians should seek shelter during the statewide tornado drill.

According to Scott County EMA, the safest shelter location is the basement or an interior room in the lowest level of a building.

EMA officials offer these tips:

• Tornado Watch means watch the sky. A tornado may form during a thunderstorm.

• Tornado Warning means seek shelter immediately.

• An interior room without windows on the lowest floor is the safest shelter location.

• Do not seek shelter in a cafeteria, gymnasium or other large open room because the roof might collapse.

• Immediately leave a mobile home to seek shelter in a nearby building.

• Overpasses are not safe. An overpass' under-the-girder-type construction can cause a dangerous wind tunnel effect.

• If you are driving, you should stop and take shelter in a nearby building.

• If you are driving in a rural area, seek shelter in a roadside ditch. Protect yourself from flying debris by covering your head with your arms, a coat or a blanket. Be prepared to move quickly in case the ditch fills with water

• Never drive into standing water. It can take less than six inches of fast moving water to make a slow moving car float. Once floating, a vehicle can overturn and sink.

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