The National Weather Service (NWS) have designated March 31 - April 4, 2008 as New Mexico Severe Weather Awareness Week. This marks the annual campaign to promote severe thunderstorm and tornado awareness and safety across New Mexico.

The key to avoiding serious injury or death during a severe thunderstorm or tornado is to start well before severe weather strikes. Develop personal and community severe weather action plans, conduct drills to practice severe weather survival skills, and ensure that your local community has an adequate severe weather warning and reporting system. In addition, learn basic severe weather safety rules and make sure to keep aware of the latest warning and forecast information.

After months of winter weather, Severe Weather Awareness Week is a good time to review thunderstorm safety rules and hazardous weather preparedness plans. It is also an opportune time to conduct severe weather drills throughout your community, at school, at work, in the hospital or health care facility, and in the home. Schools that received a Weather Radio under the NOAA Weather Radio for Public School program can conduct drills, monitor for a special radio test on Wednesday April 2, 2008 to ensure their radio functions properly.

Emergency managers can prepare their communities for severe weather by conducting safety drills and testing local warning systems, and by ensuring local spotter groups have been organized and have received recent SKYWARN training. Annual Severe Weather Spotter Training has begun across the state and will continue throughout April and May, and probably into June. It's important that your community has trained severe weather spotters. Visit our SKYWARN Page for additional information and the latest training schedule.