Today is the annual Statewide Tornado Drill across the state of Iowa, an opportunity for residents to understand their plan when severe weather impacts their community.

Donna Dubberke is the Meteorologist in Charge of the National Weather Service in Des Moines, and says it’s critical for anyone to be ready to receive alerts related to tornadoes and intense thunderstorms — and for many, they just need to look at the destruction from the tornado outbreak in Mississippi earlier this month to see how powerful these events can be.

Dubberke led storm spotter training in partnership with Marion County Emergency Management earlier this week, and says an informed public helps them in a variety of ways, by both understanding why safety is key during tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings, but also in reporting damage and other details back to local emergency responders and to the National Weather Service.

Hear more about Severe Weather Awareness week on today’s Let’s Talk Pella. The statewide tornado drill will be held at 10 a.m., and KNIA/KRLS is airing a special program highlighting how we partner with local and state officials to provide up-to-date severe weather information during our live coverage of severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings in Marion and Warren Counties.