Severe Weather Awareness week begins on February 7th across the Sunshine State. The campaign, which is a collaborative effort among Florida National Weather Service offices and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, aims to educate and prepare the public for severe weather events that could impact their area any time of the year.
Each day this week, Florida's State Emergency Response Team, NWS offices, and other governmental and media outlets will disseminate information, mainly on social media, regarding a particular severe weather topic. The schedule is as follows:
Monday, February 7th: Lightning
Tuesday, February 8th: Marine Hazards & Rip Currents
Wednesday, February 9th: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
Thursday, February 10th: Hurricanes and Flooding
Friday, February 11th: Wildfires and Extreme Heat
In addition to social media posts, NWS offices will conduct a Tornado Drill on February 9th around 10 AM. At that time, a Tornado Warning message will be aired on all NOAA Alert Radio as part of weekly service testing. In addition, NWS offices and local media may voluntarily participate and issue test communication of the mock warning.
Severe Weather Preparedness week serves as a reminder to the community to prepare for all forms of severe weather to which our state is vulnerable. Residents are encouraged to used these educational tools to understand the threats that could impact their family and to make a plan to keep their household safe should severe weather strike.
