19-03-2025
Ohio tornado drill set for Wednesday
(WKBN) — Ohio's annual statewide tornado drill is happening Wednesday. The annual test takes place each year during Severe Weather Awareness Week.
If you hear a siren at 9:50 Wednesday morning or receive a test alert on your phone, don't be alarmed — it's all for Ohio's Statewide Tornado Drill.
The sirens have historically been a way to notify people of a tornado warning. But as technology has changed, so has the way people are notified of weather events.
Trumbull County Emergency Management Agency uses the WENS Notification System, where people can voluntarily sign up to receive alerts. It's also certified through the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, meaning anyone traveling through the county during a tornado warning will get a push alert on their phone.
'We do have a lot of traffic on 80, on the turnpike, on 11, so people coming through our county a lot,' said John Hickey, Trumbull County EMA director. 'I think it's important that they kind of know what's going on.'
Emergency officials say it's important to use Wednesday's statewide drill as an opportunity to practice a safety plan.'
'Make sure they know what to do if we did have a real situation,' Hickey said.
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