Today is Drill Day — Statewide Tornado Drill at 1:00 p.m.
Michigan’s voluntary statewide tornado drill takes place today. Use it. Walk to your shelter location with your household right now and make sure everyone knows the plan.
Today is the midpoint of Michigan’s Severe Weather Awareness Week — and the most important day of it. The Statewide Tornado Drill at 1:00 p.m. is your opportunity to turn awareness into action. The Chesterfield Township Fire Department encourages every resident, business, and school to participate.
Below is everything you need to know about tornadoes — how to recognize the threat, where to go, and what to do when a warning is issued. This information applies to the drill today and to every severe weather event for the rest of the season.
Watch vs. Warning — A Critical Reminder
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Watch
Tornado Watch Conditions are favorable for tornado development. Stay informed, know your shelter spot, and be ready to move fast if a warning is issued. |
Warning
Tornado Warning A tornado has been spotted or confirmed by radar. Take shelter immediately. Do not wait to see or hear it. |
When a Warning Is Issued — Act Immediately
Go to your shelter location now
Move to the lowest floor of a sturdy building, in an interior room away from all windows — a basement is best. If no basement, use an interior bathroom, closet, or hallway on the lowest floor. Get as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
Do not wait to see or hear the tornado
The average lead time for a tornado warning is 10–15 minutes — but tornadoes can strike with little or no visible warning. When a warning is issued for your area, treat it as real and move immediately. Every second you spend watching out a window is a second you’re not protected.
Protect your head and neck
Once in your shelter location, cover your head and neck with your arms. Use a mattress, heavy coat, blanket, or sturdy piece of furniture as additional protection from debris if available. Flying debris is the leading cause of tornado injuries and fatalities.
Stay off elevators
Power outages during a storm can trap you in an elevator. Always use stairs when heading to a lower floor during severe weather.
Mobile home residents — get out
Mobile homes are not safe in any tornado, even when tied down. If a tornado warning is issued and you are in a mobile home, leave immediately and go to the nearest sturdy building. Know in advance where you will go — do not wait until a warning is issued to figure it out.
Where You Are When a Warning Strikes
| Location | What to do |
| At home | Basement first. If none, lowest-floor interior room away from windows. Avoid the garage — the door is a weak point and the roof is vulnerable. |
| In a vehicle | Do not try to outrun a tornado by driving. Get out and find the nearest sturdy building. If no building is reachable, lie flat in a low-lying ditch away from the vehicle and cover your head — this is a last resort only. |
| At work | Follow your building’s severe weather plan. Interior stairwells and hallways on lower floors are typically designated shelter areas. Avoid large open-span areas like warehouses, gyms, and cafeterias. |
| Outdoors | Get to a sturdy building immediately. Do not shelter under trees, in open structures, or under highway overpasses — overpasses funnel and accelerate wind and offer no protection from debris. |
| Mobile home | Leave immediately. Go to the nearest sturdy building. Have a plan in place before storm season — not when the warning is issued. |
Common Myths — Debunked
| ✘ Myth | ✔ Fact |
| Opening windows before a tornado equalizes pressure and reduces damage. | False — and dangerous. Opening windows wastes precious seconds. Go straight to shelter. |
| Highway overpasses are safe shelter from a tornado. | Overpasses funnel and accelerate wind. They offer no protection and put you at severe risk from debris. Never shelter there. |
| Tornadoes don’t strike cities or cross large rivers. | Tornadoes follow no geographic rules. They have struck major cities and crossed rivers, lakes, and hills. |
| The southwest corner of a basement is always the safest spot. | The safest spot is under a sturdy staircase or workbench, away from windows — regardless of which corner it’s in. |
Today’s Statewide Tornado Drill — What to Expect
⚠ Wednesday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m.
- TV and radio stations will broadcast drill messaging statewide at 1:00 p.m. Tune in if you can.
- NOAA Weather Radio will conduct its regular weekly test in coordination with the drill, with a script encouraging residents to practice their plans.
- Your phone will NOT receive a WEA alert — the drill does not trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts to cell phones.
- Community sirens may or may not activate — that is a decision made by local Emergency Management. If you hear sirens today at 1:00 p.m., treat it as the drill and proceed to your shelter location.
- Participation is entirely voluntary — but the Chesterfield Township Fire Department strongly encourages every household and workplace to take 60 seconds at 1:00 p.m. to walk through their plan.
What to actually do at 1:00 p.m.: Stop what you’re doing. Walk — don’t run — to your designated shelter location. Make sure everyone in your household or workplace knows where it is. Time how long it takes. That awareness could save your life when a real warning comes with 10 minutes or less of lead time.
Before 1:00 p.m. Today
| ☐ | Identify your shelter location — the lowest floor interior room of your home, school, or workplace |
| ☐ | Make sure all household or workplace members know where it is and how to get there |
| ☐ | Confirm WEA Emergency Alerts are enabled on your phone (Settings → Notifications → Emergency Alerts) |
| ☐ | Set a reminder for 1:00 p.m. to participate in the drill |
| ☐ | Follow Chesterfield Fire on Facebook for any real-time updates during severe weather this season |
