FOX 2 - A statewide tornado drill is being held at 1p.m. Wednesday, March 18th as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The backstory:
Counties and municipalities will be activating tornado sirens during the test, although participation is voluntary.
As part of the drill, businesses and schools are encouraged to identify safe shelter locations in the event their area is ever under a tornado warning.
Residents are asked to identify an area in the basement or a small interior room on the lowest level away from windows, so they can respond quickly if a tornado warning is ever issued.
Severe Weather Awareness Week runs through March 21 and serves as a reminder that flooding, thunderstorms and tornadoes can impact SE Michigan in spring and summer.
This year has been an active severe weather season as four tornadoes touched down across Branch, Calhoun, Cass and St. Joseph Counties on March 6, killing four and injuring many others.
Dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged. The severe weather season in 2025 was also an active year with 33 confirmed tornadoes in Michigan, according to the National Weather Service.
In observance of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Michigan March 15-21, 2026, the Detroit Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management encourages residents and local businesses to be prepared before, during, and after such severe weather conditions.
Know the difference - a tornado WATCH means conditions exist for a tornado to develop; a tornado WARNING means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.
For additional severe weather safety tips and resources, visit www.ready.gov or www.detroitmi.gov and search "severe weather."
The Source: Information for this report is from the state of Michigan.