Severe Weather Awareness Week

The Office of
Emergency Management (OEM) promotes unified planning and coordination of disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery against natural or man-made incidents that threaten lives and properties before, during and after a major emergency or disaster in Columbia or Boone County.

Missouri Severe Weather Awareness Week

March 10 - 14, 2008

The National Weather Service and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have declared the week of March 10-14, 2008 as Severe Weather Awareness Week for Missouri.

As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week a statewide tornado drill will be held at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11.

Everyone should have a basic knowledge of severe weather safety and have a severe weather plan in place. Knowing what to do, or where to go when severe weather threatens can be the difference between life and death. A good time to practice your severe weather plan is during the Annual Missouri Severe Weather Drill.

Severe Terms

Severe Terms Every Citizen Should be Aware of

Tornado Watch means watch the sky!
Tornado Warning means seek shelter immediately!

Severe Weather Safety Tips

Statewide severe weather drill

Photo of a severe thunder storm. The annual statewide severe weather tornado drill will be held at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. The warning will be initiated according to state and local warning guidelines.

The Columbia/Boone County Office of Emergency Management will activate the warning sirens as a portion of this exercise. The outdoor warning sirens serve as only one part of the local emergency alert system. Specific information regarding the actual nature of the emergency, the beginning time and expiration time of a watch or warning is provided by local broadcast media. No “all clear” signal is sounded. In the event an actual disaster specific information would be obtained from the local print and broadcast media.

The drill takes less than 15 minutes to perform. Once the severe weather announcement is made, citizens are asked to seek shelter in the lowest level (basement, if possible) interior room away from windows. Schools and businesses might seek shelter in basements, hallways or under staircases. The drill highlights the importance of accounting for everyone in your home, class or office.

If Missouri is experiencing statewide severe weather conditions, the tornado exercise will be held on Thursday, March 13, at 1:30 p.m.

Emergency Prepardness Checklist

This is a good time for all residents to practice their severe weather safety plans. Prepare now for a sudden emergency. Some steps to take are:

Create an emergency plan and discuss with all family members.
Prepare a disaster supplies kit.
Assemble the drinking water, food and supplies, battery-powered radio, flashlight, etc., you might need in an emergency.
Store them in an easy-to-carry container such as a backpack or duffel bag.
Locate hazards in your home. In an emergency, ordinary items in the home can cause injury and damage. Anything that can move, fall, break or cause a fire is a potential hazard.
Know what to do and where to go if you have to evacuate.
Prepare an emergency car kit. Prepare a fire safety plan.
View complete Disaster Planning Checklist (688 kb)