Governor Terry Branstad has proclaimed that March 21 through March 25 will be Severe Weather Awareness week in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and Iowa’s local emergency managers have again joined forces to promote severe weather awareness and family preparedness. All area county emergency management and public safety partners urge everyone to participate in order to be better prepared for severe weather events coming our way this spring. For each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week, a different subject will be featured. On Monday the topic will be severe thunderstorms. Tuesday places emphasis on warning reception and methods of distribution, Wednesday is tornado day, Thursday highlights family preparedness and Friday will focus on flash flooding. The annual statewide tornado drill will take place on Wednesday, March 23 at approximately 10 a.m. Schools, businesses, state and local governments and individuals are strongly encouraged to participate. More information on the tornado drill can be found on the local National Weather Service website. For more information on severe weather preparedness, follow this link.