This is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Kentucky and officials are hoping families, businesses, schools and churches will use the occasion to review their plans of action for when a warning is issued.
Christian County native Rick Shanklin is the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Paducah and says the week is about education and re-education on how to respond to a warning.
While severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can happen at any time of the year, the traditional severe weather season is from March through May.
Shanklin notes there have been over 100 fatalities from tornadoes and flash flooding in the last two decades in the Paducah weather office coverage area.
Listeners to WHOP and owners of NOAA weather radios will hear the annual statewide tornado drill about 9:07 a.m. Wednesday and Shanklin hopes residents will use the occasion to go through their real-world action plan for if a tornado warning were to be issued.
Follow the National Weather Service in Paducah on Facebook and Twitter for more preparedness information throughout the week.