MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Severe Weather Awareness Week in West Virginia runs from March 24 through 28 and includes a statewide tornado drill this Tuesday at 11 a.m.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” MetroNews Accuweather Meteorologist Jeff Nordeen said at 11 a.m. Tuesday Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcasts on local radio and TV stations, and NOAA Weather Radios will transmit the same alert used in the event of an actual tornado.
Statewide, schools, businesses, government buildings, and homes will use the opportunity to develop an emergency plan. Nordeen said in many cases those in the path of a storm may only have minutes to react, making seconds in a response critical to saving lives.
“Being ready for any kind of severe weather is crucial in saving lives and not necessarily reducing damage because, unfortunately, you can’t just pick up and leave with our house, but you have to be ready for it,” Nordeen said.
Throughout the course of the day, people may go to a variety of buildings, public and private, and that should be considered. Taking time to think about what you would do or where you would go in all of those different places, he says, is a detail left out by many.
“Find a designated shelter where you work and at home,” Nordeen said. “You have to remember, people always talk about finding the center part of your home, but you have to remember to find the center part of the building that you’re in.”
Nordeen suggested having an emergency weather radio that automatically plays weather alerts is important to have. But plan for the electricity to be out, so rely on battery-operated radios, TVs, or other equipment. Generators are a great addition but must be used properly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
“They’re usually best to be battery-powered because power goes out in a lot of these situations,” Nordeen said. “So, you might not hear the warning if it is not battery powered.”
Nordeen said when a “watch” is issued, that means the conditions are favorable for a tornado to develop and there could be no threatening conditions at the time. The test Tuesday will be a “warning,” meaning a tornado has been spotted and residents should take shelter immediately.
“When it changes to a warning, that’s typically when the siren starts to go,” Nordeen said. “At that point, maybe you have mere minutes before the storm hits.”
Nordeen said historic data from the 1950s to 2013 has recorded a total of 119 tornadoes, or slightly less than two per year. During the 2010s he said there were 32 confirmed tornadoes, and so far in the 2020s the number confirmed is 35, but that includes 18 in 2024, the most active year for tornadoes in state history.
“It has kind of gone up just a hair,” Nordeen said. “Two to three is a better range per year, and an event up to four tornadoes happening in West Virginia each year, so there’s something that would suggest an uptick.”