‘Survivor mindset': Floridians prepare for real weather emergencies during ‘Great Tornado Drill'
People across the Sunshine State are practicing a plan to stay safe during severe weather.
'The Great Tornado Drill' was held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in all of Florida's 67 counties.
The event lets citizens sign up in advance to receive an alert like they would during a real emergency.
WATCH: Volusia County deputies jump into action to save unconscious man on out-of-control boat
The goal is to practice taking shelter in the most secure interior room of your home or office.
Channel 9 spoke to Seminole County's Office of Emergency Management about the importance of the annual event.
SEE: UCF Football schedule is set for 2025 🏈
'We want people to consider a survivor mindset — 'What am I going to do during a tornado warning?' ... That way they don't have to scramble to think about it, they already know, and they can act,' Emergency Manager Alan Harris said.
The Great Tornado Drill is part of Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Charlotte woman advocates for change after losing home in flash flood
A local woman lost most of her personal belongings after a flash flood swept through her home on June 12. Jane Morin, pantry coordinator for the nonprofit Hearts United for Good, said the water came from the creek by her house. Morin told Channel 9's Eli Brand the water got high enough to go over the bridge and into her home. The water inside was almost knee-deep. 'Anything that was down here in any of these cabinets or sitting on the floor is not salvageable,' she said. Morin was in the process of moving so most of her things were packed in boxes on the floor. She wasn't home when the flood started, and by the time she found out about it, she had to wait for flood waters to recede before she could check on the damage. Morin wasn't the only one affected by the heavy rains. One of her neighbors had to be rescued from the waters by the Charlotte Fire Department, she said. Both Morin and her neighbor were given orders to vacate within 30 days because of the damage. Luckily, Morin says she has a new home to move into, but that isn't the case for everyone. 'It rained four inches in 90 minutes,' she said. 'We've seen in western North Carolina how much damage can be done quickly because of water.' Morin wants people to understand that things like this can cause people to experience homelessness. She says there is a chance she could have been temporarily unhoused if she didn't already have a home lined up. It's something she sees regularly with her work at HUG, a nonprofit that helps feed the hungry and people experiencing homelessness in the city. 'I would love for there to be a different narrative around people being unhoused,' she said. Morin says people from her organization are doing what they can to help, and she is encouraging others to offer whatever help they can to those in need as well. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with Morin's recovery efforts. Morin added that there were donations in her home for her niece who recently became unhoused. Her niece is pregnant, she said. Many of those donations were lost. To donate directly to HUG, visit VIDEO: Flash flooding hits Caldwell County after strong storms
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Central Florida braces for hot and steamy Friday
Showers and storms are expected to be widespread across Central Florida Friday afternoon and evening, with heavy rain likely along I-4 and to the west. Afternoon temperatures will climb to the upper 80s and low 90s, with heat index values reaching the mid and upper 90s. This weather pattern is part of a larger trend of increasing heat across the country, which is expected to intensify over the weekend and into next week. Residents in Central Florida should prepare for a return to the mid-90s in terms of high temperatures next week. The combination of high temperatures and humidity will result in uncomfortable conditions. Those living along I-4 and to the west should be especially vigilant, as these regions are forecasted to receive the most significant rainfall. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
FORECAST: Pop up storms this afternoon
FORECAST: We're drying out from last night's showers, just to rinse and repeat that forecast again! It's going to be hot and humid with highs in the upper 80s, feeling like the low 90s this afternoon. And while the first half of the day is dry, the second half will feature pop-up showers and storm chances again. Similar to the past few days, we'll watch for locally heavy rainfall and flooding issues in areas that storms sit over. Any activity that pops up tonight will slowly clear overnight before we do it again for Father's Day! A similar pattern will continue into next week with temperatures slowly climbing into the low 90s by late week. WATCH ABOVE: The latest forecast update from Severe Weather Center 9. To stay on top of changing weather conditions, be sure to download our free WSOC-TV weather app. >> Channel 9's Weather 24/7 stream has the latest local weather all day, every day. Watch wherever you stream — on our website, or through your mobile app or smart TV. WEATHER RESOURCES: WSOC Weather 24/7 Interactive Radar Download our weather app for Severe Weather Alerts Hour-by-Hour Forecast 7-Day Forecast FOLLOW OUR TEAM ON X: Chief Meteorologist John Ahrens Meteorologist Keith Monday Meteorologist Joe Puma Meteorologist Danielle Miller
