Clinton County Central Dispatch announced that the National Weather Service will be conducting a test of the tornado warning alert on Tuesday, March 12 at 10:15 a.m. for Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which spans from March 10 through March 16.
The test will be shared through most notification systems, and Clinton County Central Dispatch will participate in the statewide test by conducting a full activation of the tornado weather sirens across Clinton County.
Central Dispatch elaborated further and issued a recommendation for families to consider formulating a weather preparedness plan for the upcoming spring weather.
“It is a good time to talk with your family about what to do in the event of severe weather,” Central Dispatch released. “A tornado watch means conditions are possible. It does not mean that they will occur. A tornado warning is issued when a tornado is imminent. When a tornado warning is issued, seek safe shelter immediately.”
Central Dispatch continued to release that tornado sirens do not provide coverage for all areas and are meant to be heard by residents outside of their homes, and residents inside their homes may not be able to hear the siren. Central Dispatch recommended that residents obtain a NOAA weather radio, especially those who may silence their phones at night and may not receive the alerts.
Central Dispatch also stated that it will continue to utilize Nixle, which is a free service that sends out mass notifications regarding events occurring in the Clinton County area, such as severe weather watches and warnings, road closures, accidents and more. Nixle may be accessed by downloading the Everbridge app to receive the notifications from Central Dispatch.