Seminole County Will Hold Great Tornado Drill Feb. 4 at 10 a.m.

Seminole County’s Office of Emergency Management will stage the countywide Great Tornado Drill at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week running Feb. 2–6, 2026. The county posted the event notice on Jan. 27, 2026, and is asking households, businesses and schools to use the scheduled drill to practice sheltering, test communications and review how they receive tornado warnings.

To participate, residents can opt in by texting SCTORNADO to 888777. Seminole County Office of Emergency Management recommends that participants take shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor away from windows, rehearse family or workplace tornado plans and confirm alarm and alert reception methods. The county also encourages sharing drill photos on social media with the hashtag #tornadodrill.

The drill serves several local purposes. Practicing shelter procedures reduces the chance of injuries and helps first responders by limiting preventable emergencies during severe weather. For businesses, an organized drill can reveal weaknesses in continuity plans that would otherwise cause longer shutdowns and revenue losses during an actual tornado. For schools, routine drills provide students and staff with clear, repeatable steps that speed safe response and reduce confusion.

Seminole County Office of Emergency Management frames the event as a system test as well as a public safety exercise. Testing how residents receive warnings - whether through text alerts, mobile apps, NOAA weather radios or local sirens - provides the county with actionable information to improve alerting strategies and to prioritize upgrades. Stronger alerting and practiced responses can lower the economic and social costs of severe weather by shortening recovery time and limiting property damage through timely protective actions.

Community participation is simple but consequential. Households should designate an interior, low-level shelter space, assemble or review emergency kits and run through a family communication plan during the 10:00 a.m. drill. Employers should ensure staff know their building’s safe areas and how business-critical functions will be protected or paused. School administrators should coordinate with district protocols to confirm that student safety procedures align with the county’s guidance.

Seminole County’s drill is both a rehearsal and a reminder: timely, practiced response reduces harm and economic disruption when severe storms hit. Residents who text SCTORNADO to 888777, practice sheltering at 10:00 a.m. on Feb. 4 and review their alerting methods will help strengthen the county’s readiness and resilience.