Douglas County Emergency Management and the Topeka National Weather Service are hosting “Weather 101,” a free severe weather training at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. It will include information about severe thunderstorm development, identification of storm features and safety tips.

In conjunction with Severe Weather Awareness Week, which runs March 6-10, 2023, you are invited to join Douglas County Emergency Management on Tuesday, March 7, for the statewide tornado drill at 10 a.m. Emergency Management staff will activate and test the outdoor warning sirens, and they encourage Douglas County residents and businesses to use the event to test their emergency plans.

During the spring, Douglas County is at higher risk for severe weather that can include damaging winds, large hail, flooding and tornadoes. “It’s up to each of us to know the right steps to take in order to ensure our safety when severe weather strikes,” Emergency Management Deputy Director Jillian Rodrigue said.

Rodrigue encourages Douglas County residents to sign up for emergency alerts through the Northeast Kansas Regional Notification System at http://dgcoks.org/notify.

For information about severe weather safety, visit: http://dgcoks.org/swaw.