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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2005

CONTACT: Columbia/Boone County
Emergency Management
(573) 874-7400

Statewide severe weather drill scheduled for March 15
									
	(COLUMBIA, MO) - Recognizing the work Missouri's county and
city emergency management directors perform to keep citizens safe from
natural disasters such as tornadoes and severe weather or spring
flooding, Governor Matt Blunt proclaimed March as Disaster Preparedness
Month. The annual statewide severe weather tornado drill, announced by
the National Weather Service Office in St. Louis, will be held at
approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15. The warning will be
initiated according to state and local warning guidelines. 	

The Public Safety Joint Communications Center will activate the warning
sirens as a portion of this exercise. The outdoor warning sirens serve
as only one part of the local emergency alert system. Specific
information regarding the actual nature of the emergency, the beginning
time and expiration time of a watch or warning is provided by local
broadcast media. No "all clear" signal is sounded. In the event an
actual disaster specific information would be obtained from the local
print and broadcast media.
	
The  drill takes less than 15 minutes to perform. Once the severe
weather announcement is made, citizens are asked to seek shelter in the
lowest level (basement, if possible) interior room away from windows.
Schools and businesses might seek shelter in basements, hallways or
under staircases. The drill highlights the importance of accounting for
everyone in your home, class or office.
	
If Missouri is experiencing statewide severe weather conditions, the
tornado exercise will be held on Thursday, March 17, at 1:30 p.m.

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