UK to Participate in Statewide Tornado Safety Drill

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 4, 2013) ― At approximately 10:07 a.m. EST Tuesday, March 5, the National Weather Service (NWS), collaborating with Kentucky Emergency Management, Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee and Kentucky Broadcast Association will participate in the 2013 Statewide Tornado Safety Drill and issue a tornado warning test message. Warning sirens will sound at this time across Kentucky communities; weather alert radios will activate; and television and radio stations will broadcast the test alert message.  Weather radios will activate in University of Kentucky buildings and the tornado siren on south campus will sound.

UK Police Department’s Division of Crisis Management & Preparedness is encouraging members of the UK community to take this opportunity to familiarize themselves with designated shelter areas in the buildings they frequent.  These areas have been identified as the safest areas in each building and are marked with green “Severe Weather Shelter” signs.  Additional information on what to do if a Tornado Warning is issued can be found in the Emergency Response Guide located on the Division of Crisis Management & Preparedness website.

To initiate the start of the drill, a UK Alert message will be sent by UK Police in the form of a text message only. The message will read as follows: “This is a DRILL! National Weather Service has issued a TORNADO WARNING for the Lexington area until 10:13AM. Please seek shelter immediately. This is a DRILL!”

Once the drill has concluded, the following message will be disseminated via text message using UK Alert: “Attention! The situation is all clear. The drill has concluded. You may resume normal activity.”

UK Police send UK Alert notifications when an actual Tornado Warning is issued by the National Weather Service for Fayette County.  Now is an excellent time to review and update your UK Alert account to ensure that you are registered for these important notifications.  To review and update your account simply log in to myUK and click the UK Alert tab in the Employee Self-Service or Student Services tab.

If inclement weather is in the forecast on March 5, the Statewide Tornado Drill will be rescheduled.