Severe Weather Preparedness Drill, Extension of Middle Valley Severe Threat (Page 6, English)

This One's For You...

2:12 p.m.

By the time you answer a few emails back at work your office's NOAA Weather Radio sounds another alert. Your smartphone app also chirps. A new Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued.

What's Important?

This one does include your office. It's important to know where you would be on a map, so you can tell if you are in the official warning area. The NWS issues "storm-based warnings" that outline the area in danger from any one specific severe storm. If you are inside the polygon shaped warning, you need to pay attention! This storm looks pretty serious, it's believed to be producing wind gusts over 70 mph, and golfball sized hail. It's already done damage in La Joya. The storm is still a little ways to the west of you, but its moving east at 35 mph so it's time to act!

What Do You Do?

First, you know there are several people working outdoors at your workplace. You quickly let them and their supervisor know about the approaching storm and warning. As they quickly store their equipment and head indoors you go back into the office you manage. You let everyone know about the warning and the storm that will arrive shortly and advise everyone to stay inside and away from windows until the storm passes by or the warning is cancelled. Within about 10 minutes vulnerable equipment is sheltered and everyone is inside waiting for more information.