Ohio Tornado Sirens to Sound Wednesday for Statewide Drill

CLEVELAND, OHIO — Emergency sirens will echo through Northeast Ohio on Wednesday morning, but the noise is not a cause for panic. At 9:50 a.m. March 18, the state will initiate its annual Statewide Tornado Drill, a coordinated effort to test equipment and personal safety plans. Officials from the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness encourage everyone to treat the exercise as if it were a real emergency by moving to designated safe spots in homes, schools and workplaces. Residents have likely seen local social media groups light up with questions the moment a siren sounds, so authorities are asking people to spread the word early. Tornadoes are violent, rotating columns of air that can travel from a thunderstorm to the ground with enough force to uproot trees or turn everyday objects into lethal projectiles. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, wind speeds can range from 65 mph in an EF0 storm to more than 200 mph in a catastrophic EF5 event. Understanding the terminology used by meteorologists is the first step in staying safe. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for a storm to develop, while a tornado warning is a signal of immediate danger. It indicates that a tornado has been sighted or detected by radar. When the sirens sound, the safest place to be is an underground shelter, a basement or a dedicated safe room. If those are not available, an interior room on the lowest floor without windows, such as a closet or bathroom, provides the best protection against flying glass. For those living in mobile homes, the advice from emergency officials is clear: Get out. No mobile home is designed to withstand a tornado's force, even if it is equipped with a tie-down system. Residents should identify a nearby sturdy building or a community shelter long before the clouds start to gather. If drivers are caught on the road when a warning is issued, they should not make the mistake of seeking shelter under a highway overpass. While it might look like a solid concrete shield, an overpass acts like a wind tunnel, accelerating the air and channeling dangerous debris directly toward anyone hiding underneath. According to the Tallmadge police record and regional safety guides, if a tornado is imminent and a driver cannot reach a sturdy building like a restaurant or convenience store, they should stay in the car with the seat belt buckled. They should keep their head below window level and cover themselves with a jacket or blanket to protect against shattered glass. For those in high-occupancy buildings like hospitals or schools, elevators are off-limits because a power failure could leave people trapped during the height of the storm. Instead, use the stairs to reach the lowest level and stay away from glass doorways or large open spans like gymnasiums. If someone is caught outside with no buildings nearby, they should lie flat in a ditch or low-lying area and protect their head with their arms. Local police departments recommend that residents sign up for digital alerts to supplement the outdoor siren system, as sirens are primarily intended to warn those who are already outdoors. Detailed safety checklists and sheltering guides are available through the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.