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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
627 AM EST WED MAR 4 2026
***THE ANNUAL STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL FOR NORTH CAROLINA WILL OCCUR
TODAY AT 9:30 AM EST***
AS A PART OF NORTH CAROLINA'S SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK,
TODAY AT 9:30 AM EST, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COOPERATION
WITH LOCAL BROADCASTERS WILL CONDUCT THE ANNUAL STATEWIDE TORNADO
DRILL IN THE FORM OF A REQUIRED MONTHLY TEST ON ALL NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AND PUBLIC ALERT SYSTEMS. THE ALARM TEST WILL ACTIVATE THE
STATE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM AND BE CARRIED BY LOCAL RADIO
BROADCASTERS. THIS WILL ALLOW SCHOOLS, BUSINESS, AND RESIDENTS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE THEIR TORNADO DRILLS AND SAFETY PLANS.
EVERY SCHOOL, BUSINESS, WORKPLACE, AND FAMILY ACROSS THE STATE IS
STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL.
HERE ARE A COUPLE KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT TODAY'S STATEWIDE
TORNADO DRILL:
* THE DRILL WILL BE BROADCAST ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND THE
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM VIA THE REQUIRED MONTHLY TEST (RMT).
THEREWILL NOT BE AN ACTUAL TORNADO WARNING ISSUED.
* THIS DRILL AND RMT WILL TAKE THE PLACE OF THE USUAL WEEKLY NOAA
WEATHER RADIO ALERT TEST (RWT). THAT IS, THERE WILL NOT BE A
WEEKLY RADIO TEST DONE BETWEEN 11 AM AND NOON TODAY.
* SOME NOAA WEATHER RADIO RECEIVERS DO NOT SOUND AN AUDIBLE ALERT
FOR THE RMT PRODUCT; INSTEAD, THEY MAY HAVE A BLINKING LIGHT ON
THE DISPLAY TO INDICATE THAT AN RMT WAS RECEIVED. AS SUCH, WHEN
THE RMT FOR THE STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL IS INITIATED AT 9:30 AM
EST THIS MORNING, THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT YOUR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO MAY NOT SOUND AN ALARM.
* SINCE YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO MAY NOT SOUND AN ALARM AT THE TIME
THE RMT IS ISSUED, YOU WILL WANT TO DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
MANUALLY TURN ON YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO RECEIVER FIVE MINUTES
BEFORE THE START OF THE DRILL, AND SIMPLY LISTEN TO THE AUDIO
BROADCAST TO HEAR WHEN THE RMT IS ISSUED, WHICH WILL MARK THE
BEGINNING OF THE STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL; OR SIMPLY PLAN TO
START YOUR TORNADO DRILL ON YOUR OWN AT 9:30 AM.
* THERE WILL BE NO FOLLOW-UP STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NWS TO
MARK THE END OF THE STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL. IT WILL SIMPLY BE
OVER WHEN YOUR GROUP, SCHOOL, BUSINESS, ORGANIZATION, OR FAMILY
FEELS THAT YOU HAVE ADEQUATELY PRACTICED YOUR TORNADO SHELTER
PROCEDURES.
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