On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, Missouri will hold its annual statewide tornado drill at 10:00 a.m. Missouri State University participates in this annual drill. It provides a good test and review of our tornado procedures. During this drill, all faculty, staff and students are asked to react in accordance with the University’s Emergency Action Plan Severe Weather and Tornado Procedures. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these procedures before the drill. For a complete list of shelter locations, go to the Building Evacuation and Shelter Locations Reference Chart.

Tornado Facts

• Tornado sirens are designed as a warning for people outdoors.
• Wind speeds can reach in excess of 300 mph.
• Paths of destruction can be more than a mile wide and 50 miles long.
• Tornadoes can occur at any time of day, but most frequently occur between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
• Tornadoes in Missouri peak March through June, but can occur at any time of year.
• Missouri has averaged 46.7 tornadoes per year.
• Missouri is in the top 10 states that experience tornadoes and is part of “Tornado Alley”.
• The U.S. averages 70 deaths per year from tornadoes.
• Tornadoes are measured on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale (EF) and can be EF0 – EF5 rated; only a few (0.1%) in the United States annually achieve EF5 status.

Be Smart. Stay Safe!