Douglas County Emergency Management is offering “Weather 101” from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in conjunction with Severe Weather Preparedness Month. The educational class will be in Flory Meeting Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St., and it is open to anyone at no cost. It will include information about severe thunderstorm development, identification of storm features and safety tips.

On March 8, there will be a statewide tornado drill at 10 a.m. when Emergency Management will activate and test the tornado sirens. Douglas County residents and businesses are encouraged 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. These alerts will provide critical information quickly about situations such as severe weather and evacuations.

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