Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Chicago, IL

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NOUS43 KLOT 111608
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INZ001-002-010-011-019-120415-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Chicago IL
1108 AM CDT Mon Mar 11 2024 /1208 PM EDT Mon Mar 11 2024/

...FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11th, 2024...

Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week is March 10th through March
16th, 2024.

Indianapolis, IN - Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has proclaimed
March 10th through March 16th as Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness
week. A statewide live test tornado drill will be held on Tuesday
March 12th around 9:15 AM CDT.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) in
Chicago, IL (LOT); Indianapolis, IN (IND); Louisville, KY (LMK);
Northern Indiana (IWX) and Paducah, KY (PAH); the Indiana Department
of Homeland Security (IDHS); and the Indiana Broadcasters
Association (IBA) plan to conduct a live code Tornado Warning test
throughout most of the state of Indiana.

The live code test supports the Indiana Statewide Tornado Drill and
maximizes participation in the drill by local emergency management
agencies and broadcasters and tests broadcast systems.
A live code test means a Tornado Warning test message will be
disseminated via audio and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME)
tones over NWR transmitters serving Indiana and will activate the
Emergency Alert System (EAS).

The audio message will use the phrase “Tornado Warning” but will
state that the message is only a test. The World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) text messages will use a Valid Time Event Code
(VTEC) Product Class Code of /T/ for Test and the word Test will be
repeated several times in the body of the message. The test will not
be sent to cellphones via the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system,
although in an actual Tornado Warning, this system would be used.

In the event of significant weather hazards in Indiana on the
morning of March 12, the test will be postponed to Wednesday, March
13 at 9:15 AM CDT and will be preceded by another Public
Information Statement announcing the change. If significant
weather hazards cause the backup date test to be canceled, the
test drill will be canceled altogether and not rescheduled.

More information about Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week and
the test Tornado Drill can be found online at;
https://www.weather.gov/lot/severeprepare

$$


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