Athens-Clarke County and the University will participate in a tornado drill this Wednesday, Feb. 8, in recognition of the high tornado activity experienced during the past year. This drill will be the main event of Severe Weather Awareness Week, a state-wide initiative which will take place from Monday to Friday.

Between 9 and 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday students and faculty will be alerted of the drill via the tornado sirens strategically placed around the county. These sirens are located downtown, on the roof of the chemistry building, at family housing, in the botanical gardens and in the East Campus parking deck.

Director of the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness Steve Harris said students and faculty who are in class during the drill are encouraged to “at least pause and reflect” on what they would do during a weather emergency. The protocol for tornadoes is to move to the lowest level of the building, stay in interior rooms and steer clear of windows.

The drill will be held back to Friday if Wednesday’s weather is questionable.

“We certainly don’t want to initiate a drill when people might think there is an actual storm coming,” Harris said. “So if there is a threat on drill day we will move it to February 10.”

In honor of Severe Weather Preparedness Week, the director of emergency preparedness from the University of Alabama, Donald Keith, is giving a lecture on his experience during the Tuscaloosa tornado crisis experienced last year at the Tate Student Center at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.