The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service, and other preparedness partners will conduct a Severe Weather Awareness Week to promote weather safety to citizens, test emergency warning communications systems, and test emergency preparedness plans the week of March 26-30, 2018.
The highlight of the week will be a multi-state tornado drill scheduled for Wednesday, March 28th between 10 & 11 a.m. (CDT). Schools, businesses, healthcare facilities, state and local governments, and individuals are strongly encouraged to participate in this drill by practicing the actions you would take if an actual tornado warning for your area was issued.
During the drill, emergency response agencies will activate their storm spotter activation protocols, severe weather notification protocols, and severe weather emergency response plans to prepare for the upcoming storm season. The County 911 Center will also activate outdoor warning sirens for all incorporated cities within Pottawattamie County.
As outdoor warning sirens have limited or no effect while you are in your home or traveling, every resident should sign up for the countywide emergency notification system, Pottawattamie Alert, part of the Alert Iowa Network. This system provides home or mobile phone alerts, text alerts, and/or emails when severe weather threatens. It is also the means by which local officials can alert you to other emergencies such as hazardous materials, missing persons, evacuation or sheltering orders, law enforcement emergencies, water system emergencies, and critical public information after a significant or catastrophic event. This is a voluntary program and residents must self-register in the system to ensure you receive emergency alerts. You may custom select the type of alerts you receive and the service is free.