A tornado, registering more than 130 mph, slammed into Freedom Plaza in Suffolk, Va., in 2008. (U.S. Army photo: Jim Gorka)

According to information available from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, individuals and companies may participate in the statewide tornado drill Tuesday, March 16th.

Tornado drills are not just for schoolchildren. In fact, 16 tornadoes struck Virginia last year and not one of them hit during school hours. All Virginians should practice tornado safety by conducting drills at home, at work and at school. To reinforce this citizen call to action, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has declared March 16th, “Tornado Preparedness Day.”

No part of Virginia is immune from tornadoes. They can hit at any time of the year and at any time of the day. There are two things that every family, business and organization should do to get ready:

• Get a NOAA weather radio with Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) alerts.
• Participate in the statewide tornado drill Tuesday, March 16th, at 9:45 a.m.

To learn more about conducting a tornado drill, and to register your participation in the March 16th statewide drill, visit www.vaemergency.com.