Severe Weather Awareness Week starts March 21, 2022

Severe Weather Awareness Week takes place March 21 to 25, 2022, and is an opportunity to highlight the importance of being aware of — and prepared for — severe weather. It is also an ideal time to review your household’s emergency plan, check the contents of your emergency kit, and sign up to receive alerts to stay weather aware.

Part of the awareness week includes the annual statewide tornado drill, which will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 23. In the event of severe weather on Wednesday, the drill will be postponed and held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 24. The purpose of the drill is to ensure that individuals are properly alerted about tornado warnings and can practice any actions that would be taken in the event of a tornado. Drill notifications will be sent through all communication channels normally used for severe weather alerts, including the Johnson County alert system mentioned above. Please note: third-party mobile applications will vary in behavior and performance based upon the coding within the application.

Due to the statewide drill happening in close proximity to Johnson County’s normal siren test day, which is at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of the month, the outdoor sirens will not be tested on Wednesday, April 6. The normal testing cycle will resume at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 4. Additional information about the tornado drill can be found on local NWS websites.

For more information on severe weather preparedness, visit the National Weather Service’ website or the State of Iowa’s readiness information at beready.iowa.gov. You can register for a severe weather and emergency alerts specific to Johnson County at smart911.com.