Statewide Tornado Drill is Wednesday (March 27)
Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 25-29
The City of Crete will participate in Nebraska’s State-wide tornado drill on Wednesday, March 27 in recognition of Severe Weather Awareness Week 2024 (March 25-29).
The City will test the community warning sirens city-wide at 10 a.m. and also exercise safety procedures for employees and those visitors who are in City buildings at the time of the drill.
If severe weather is forecasted, the sirens will not sound as part of the drill.
In advance of this drill, it would be appropriate for members of the community to review tornado and severe weather procedures with family members, neighbors, and employees, to include the safest location(s) in each building they use. Families should consider a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information.
For businesses and buildings, activities should include the best routes to these safe location(s); how to suspend business practices as staff leave work areas; and how to best see to the safety of visitors in these buildings. Residents who work outdoors should also review with their workers the actions they should take.
The City has eight outdoor warning sirens, "designed only to alert those who are outside that something dangerous is approaching.” See this FAQ about outdoor warnings sirens for more information.
During severe weather season, check the forecast regularly to see if you're at risk for tornadoes. If you are indoors during times of forecasted storms, listen to local news or an NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings.
The following are links to tornado information and general severe weather safety tips from the National Weather Service:
- National Weather Service - Spring Safety
- Watches and Warnings
- National Weather Service Safety Tips by weather type
- Outdoor Warning Sirens: FAQ
- Severe Weather Awarenes Week 2024
Two systems are used to send relevant emergency notifications to local residents, one is used by Jefferson/Saline County Emergency Management and the other is used by Southeast Communications 911 Center, the City of Crete's dispatch center. Residents are encouraged to sign up for both services. See the Emergency Management page for more information on EverBridge and AlertSense.