Tornado Drills in Virginia

Emergency management officials in Virginia are planning to hold a tornado drill across the state.

A joint effort between the National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the drill is scheduled for March 15, 2011 at 9:45 AM EST.

Representatives of the emergency management department feel that it is vital that citizens know what to do if a tornado warning is issued in their area. 62 tornadoes, they say, have struck Virginia in the last three years, causing nearly $48 million in damage and injuring more than 220 people.

Registration for the statewide drill and instructions for conducting a tornado drill of your own are available online, and the Department of Emergency Management website. Roughly half a million Virginians have already signed up.

Knowing what to do in a tornado is at least as important as knowing whether your homeowners insurance policy includes tornado coverage.