If you hear the tornado sirens wailing in Columbus on Wednesday, here’s why
When Columbus’ outdoor weather sirens sound off on a clear day during the workweek, some wonder why — enough to call 911 to ask.
On Wednesday at 9 a.m., Georgia will trigger its annual tornado drill for Severe Weather Awareness Week. Residents who hear the sirens wailing are supposed to rehearse what they would do if a tornado was approaching.
“It’s an outdoor warning device to seek shelter,” said Chance Corbett, Columbus’ emergency management director.
Corbett said the best place to shelter in a typical home is an interior, windowless room on the lowest floor. For homes that have no basement or cellar, that’s usually a bathroom, he said.
Columbus residents should be familiar with the long wail of the siren that signals a tornado warning because it sounds every Saturday at noon, the city’s regular siren test. Some dog owners’ pets howl in unison.
Local schools usually practice their tornado drills when the sirens sound during Severe Weather Awareness Week. But in a pandemic, any schools holding in-person classes will defer this time to avoid the risk of students huddling close together in a hallway, Corbett said.
Any other organization that typically would rehearse such a drill also should be mindful of COVID-19 safety precautions, he said.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency devotes each day of its severe weather awareness week to a different topic. Wednesday is tornado drill day. The others are:
- Monday: NOAA Weather Radio Day.
- Tuesday: thunderstorm safety.
- Thursday: lightning safety.
- Friday: flood safety.
Details and other safety tips are at gema.ga.gov.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 9:38 PM.