UMW will test its alert system during Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The University of Mary Washington will activate UMW Alerts and test its emergency notification system as part of the Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill on Thursday, March 7, at 9:45 a.m. The test may include text messages, emails, desktop alerts, phone calls and sirens or messages from the area warning system on campus. This spring semester test coincides with spring break and will reach devices on and off campus.
Students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in UMW Alerts with contact information registered with the University, including UMW email address and cell phone number. The University adds new community members weekly and resets the system with all current community members on the first day of classes for the fall semester. Community members can update their information at any time by visiting the Emergency Alerts website.
The March 7 exercise is part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, which is designed to refresh, remind and educate everyone about the seasonal threats from severe weather and how to plan and prepare for them. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management partners with the National Weather Service to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week. Each day of the week covers a different topic, including preparedness tips and ways to stay safe during severe weather. More information is available from the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov/akq/SevereWeatherAwareness.