2021 Severe Weather Awareness Week and State Tornado Drill

For the first time, the National Weather Service and Virginia are promoting a Severe Weather Awareness Week. The week will include the annual Virginia Tornado Drill. The dates of Severe Weather Awareness Week are March 15th – 19th. Each day the National Weather Service will focus on a different aspect of severe weather to increase awareness, preparedness and safety in respect to severe weather. The NWS offices serving Virginia are developing web pages to support this which will focus on a different topic each day:

Mon: Watches, Warnings and preparedness
Tue: Tornadoes
Wed: Severe Thunderstorms – Damaging Wind Gusts & Hail
Thu: Flash Floods
Fri: Lightning

The annual tornado drill will be a part of that week, conducted on Tuesday, March 16th at 9:45 a.m. (with a backup date of March 17th). This year’s test will be completed using the Required Monthly Test (RMT) code on NOAA Weather Radios, which will not automatically trigger most radio alarms. We recommend that those participating turn on their weather radio around 9:40 AM that morning and listen to the broadcast.

The Office of Emergency Management and Safety will also utilize flat panels, computer pop-ups, and telephone intercom systems (in offices and classrooms) to announce the start of the Tornado Drill for the College.

When the test Tornado Warning is sounded, people should move as quickly as possible to pre-identified Severe Weather Shelter areas (or other safe areas as described below) in their building. Once in the safe area, the protective actions that are recommended are to crouch down or sit on the floor face down and cover your head with your hands.

Severe Weather Shelter Areas are identified by signs like the one pictured below: (note, shelter areas can be inside rooms, or in designated hallways and corridors marked with this sign).

Due to COVID distancing requirements, hallways without windows will also serve as shelters. Students, staff and Faculty in remote status are encouraged to participate at their homes or offices by locating and moving to a safe area (see attachment) where ever they are.

The Statewide Tornado Drill will last for 10 minutes. At 9:55 a.m., you may resume normal activities. Announcements will be made using the Emergency Notification Systems mentioned above to announce the end of the Drill, but not all Severe Weather Shelters have the ability to receive the “all-clear” message. In all cases, please resume normal activities at 9:55 a.m. Also, please remember to follow the directions of Building and Floor Wardens.

We have attached a Tornado information package as well as a Severe Weather information package. If you have additional questions, please visit www.nvcc.edu/emergency to learn more about what you can do to protect yourself and others during severe weather and other hazards.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office Emergency Management at oem@nvcc.edu. At the conclusion of the Tornado Drill, the Office of Emergency Management will send a follow-up email with a link to a survey. Please take a minute to take the short survey in order to help us accurately identify areas where we need improvement