INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Governor Mike Braun has proclaimed Sunday, March 9, through Saturday, March 15, as Severe Weather Preparedness Week across Indiana. A statewide live test tornado drill will be conducted on Tuesday, March 11, at around 10:15 a.m. to test emergency communications across Indiana.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) in Chicago, IL (LOT); Indianapolis, IN (IND); Louisville, KY (LMK); Northern Indiana (IWX) and Paducah, KY (PAH); the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS); and the Indiana Broadcasters Association (IBA) plan to conduct a live code Tornado Warning (TOR) test throughout most of the state of Indiana.
The live code TOR test supports the Indiana Statewide Tornado Drill and maximizes participation by local emergency management agencies and broadcasters, while also testing emergency broadcast systems.
A live code TOR test means a Tornado Warning test message will be disseminated via audio and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) tones over NWR transmitters serving Indiana and will activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Local television stations may interrupt broadcasts or allow a scroll across television screens. Radio stations may also interrupt programming to broadcast the test.
The audio message will use the phrase “Tornado Warning” but will state the message is only a test.
In the event of significant weather hazards in Indiana on the morning of March 11, the test will be postponed to Wednesday, March 12, and will be preceded by another Public Information Statement announcing the change.
