Statewide tornado drill set for Wednesday

DES MOINES — The National Weather Service in Des Moines announced a statewide tornado drill scheduled for Wednesday as part of Iowa's Severe Weather Awareness Week, running March 25-29. The drill, aiming to bolster preparedness for severe weather, will begin promptly at 10 a.m.

Authorities encourage participation from schools, hospitals, law enforcement, and other agencies to test severe weather emergency communication and sheltering plans. Unlike routine alerts, this drill will feature a scripted message sent to NOAA Weather Radios, triggering alarms and displaying as a Routine Weekly Test. However, there will be no broadcast warnings through standard media outlets or posts on the National Weather Service's website, except possibly on social media.

The drill, designed to end automatically after 5 to 15 minutes without an official concluding statement, does not include a "test" watch or a "hard copy" warning. Community engagement in readiness activities for the upcoming severe weather season is strongly encouraged. Entities are also urged to share photos of their participation in the drill on the National Weather Service's social media platforms, underscoring the collective effort to enhance community safety.

For further details on preparing for severe weather, residents and organizations can visit the National Weather Service's preparedness page at www.weather.gov/desmoines/preparedness.