The University of Mary Washington will activate UMW Alerts and test its emergency notification system as part of the Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 9:45 a.m. The test may include text messages, emails, desktop alerts, and phone calls to the campus community as well as sirens or messages from the area warning system on campus.
Students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in UMW Alerts with contact information registered with the University, including UMW email address and a 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 10 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 online.
Tornado Safety tips:
- Watch vs. Warning
- Know the difference between a Watch and a Warning and know what to do
- Watch = hazardous conditions are favorable. Say informed and be prepared.
- Warning = hazardous conditions are imminent. Take action now! Seek shelter.
- Safe Shelter Locations
- Pre-identify safe sheltering locations at home, school, and work
- Lower level interior rooms with no windows are best; avoid large rooms such as auditoriums
- If outside, find the nearest sturdy building; if you can’t make it to a building, find a low lying spot to lay flat on the ground and cover your head
- Stay Informed
- Don’t ignore severe weather alerts!
- Know your surroundings, pre-plan safety actions, and stay aware
- Have weather safety conversations with your friends, family, and colleagues
For more information about University of Mary Washington’s emergency management programs, please visit the Emergency Management and Safety webpage at https://students.umw.edu/safety/emergency-management/ or contact Emergency Management at 540-654-2108.