National Weather Service Raw Text Product

468 
NOUS42 KGSP 071101
PNSGSP

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
600 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2025

...The Annual Statewide Tornado Drill Will Occur Today...

As a part of North and South Carolina's Severe Weather Preparedness 
Week, today at 9 AM for South Carolina, and at 9:30 AM for North 
Carolina, the National Weather Service in cooperation with local 
broadcasters will conduct the annual statewide tornado drill.  For 
South Carolina this will be in the form of a Routine Weekly Test, 
and for North Carolina this will be in the form of a Required 
Monthly Test on all NOAA weather radio and public alert systems. The 
alarm test will activate the State Emergency Alert System and be 
carried by local radio broadcasters. This will allow schools, 
business, and residents the opportunity to practice their tornado 
drills and safety plans. Every school, business, workplace, and 
family across the state is strongly encouraged to participate in the 
statewide tornado drill.

Here are a couple key things to remember about today's statewide 
tornado drill:

* The drill will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the 
  Emergency Alert System via the Routine Weekly Test (RWT) for South 
  Carolina or the Required Monthly Test (RMT) for North Carolina. 
  There will not be an actual Tornado Warning issued.

* This drill and RWT or RMT will take the place of the usual weekly 
  NOAA Weather Radio Alert test (RWT).  That is, there will not be a 
  weekly radio test done between 11 AM and Noon today.    

* Some NOAA Weather Radio receivers do not sound an audible alert 
  for the RWT or RMT product; instead, they may have a blinking 
  light on the display to indicate that an RWT or RMT was received. 
  As such, when the RMT for the statewide tornado drill is initiated 
  at 9 AM for South Carolina or 9:30 AM for North Carolina, there is 
  a good chance that your NOAA Weather Radio may not sound an alarm. 

* Since your NOAA Weather Radio may not sound an alarm at the time 
  the RWT or RMT is issued, you will want to do one of the 
  following:  manually turn on your NOAA Weather Radio receiver five 
  minutes before the start of the drill, and simply listen to the 
  audio broadcast to hear when the RMT is issued, which will mark 
  the beginning of the statewide tornado drill; or simply plan to 
  start your tornado drill on your own at 9 AM or 9:30 AM.

* There will be no follow-up statements issued by the NWS to mark 
  the end of the statewide tornado drill.   It will simply be over 
  when your group, school, business, organization, or family feels 
  that you have adequately practiced your tornado shelter procedures.

$$