Cass County is among the 99 counties in Iowa that are expected to participate in the annual tornado drill this Wednesday, March 25th. Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon says as in the past, outdoor warning sirens will be activated in cities throughout Cass County at or near 10:15 a.m., NOAA weather radios will sound an alert and Cass County residents, businesses and schools will be asked to respond as they would to an actual severe weather event.

New this year, is Cass County’s mass notification system, which will transmit a voice message warning to every landline telephone and an emergency text will be sent to all subscribers to the Cass Emergency Notification System. Kennon says “My hope is that we can get more subscribers to the county mass notification system. You can’t receive local emergency warning texts unless you register your cell phone. Subscribing is quick, easy and free.”

To register, residents can click on a link found on the kjan.com homepage (or  http://entry.inspironlogistics.com/cass_ia/wens.cfm) and sign up. You’ll enter your cell phone, e-mail and/or pager number, city and zip code. There are also links to register on the Cass County website homepage www.casscountyiowa.us, the Cass Co EMA Facebook page www.facebook.com/CassCoEMA, and the Cass Co Sheriffs Facebook page www.facebook.com/casscountysheriff.

The annual State wide tornado drill is the highlight of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service’s Severe Weather Awareness Week that runs from March 23rd through March 27th, 2015. Severe Weather Awareness Week is an annual event to remind Iowans that severe weather is part of living in our state and that understanding the risks and how to respond to them can save lives.