It’s the third day of Severe Weather Awareness Week and today’s focus is on tornadoes. 

Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams tells Raccoon Valley Radio when a tornado warning is issued within the county, they will set off the severe weather sirens for that area. Then once the siren is activated, Williams says it will sound continuously for 1-3 minutes and then shut-off. He advises that if you hear the sirens to head indoors and go to the basement or the lowest part of the building you are in, preferably a room without windows. Williams describes what motorists should do if they hear the sirens and are on the road.

“Go to your closest business that may have bathrooms or something to get into or just try to get into the lowest position you can (including drainage) tiles that go underneath driveways if they’re big enough, or just get into the lowest part of the ditch as you can so that the wind shear can go above you.” 

Today is also the statewide tornado drill that happens at 10am. The drill serves as a test of the Emergency Alert System and during the drill, the National Weather Service will issue a test tornado watch at 10am, followed by a test tornado warning around 10:15am. Also at 10am will be the Raccoon Valley Radio mock Severe Weather Action Team coverage, where staff will conduct a mock “live” coverage and provide information about tornadoes with the county emergency management coordinators and law enforcement. The drill will end by 10:30am.