As spring approaches, meteorologists say it’s time for Virginians to start preparing for severe weather again.
During Severe Weather Awareness Week, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service are reminding residents to stay informed and have a plan before storms move into the region.
Virginia’s Severe Weather Awareness Week runs March 9–13, 2026, with a statewide tornado drill scheduled for Tuesday, March 10 at 9:45 a.m., according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. The week is meant to refresh, remind and educate people about seasonal weather threats and how to stay safe.
Each day focuses on a different topic, according to the agency:
- Monday: Watch vs. Warning
- Tuesday: Tornadoes
- Wednesday: Severe thunderstorms (hail, lightning and wind)
- Thursday: Flash flooding
- Friday: Outdoor weather safety
Schools, businesses and families across Virginia are encouraged to participate in the tornado drill and practice their emergency plans.
After several winter months focused on snow and ice, severe storms may not be top of mind for many people. But according to Delaney Willis, morning meteorologist with WSLS 10, the weather pattern is beginning to shift.
“It’s not really top of mind for a lot of people and we’re starting to get to the season where we have more dangerous wind speeds and potential for hail and even a few stray tornadoes,” said Willis.
While Virginia is not part of the country’s traditional tornado-prone regions, meteorologists say the state can still experience quick spin-ups and strong storms.
Experts say one of the most important steps residents can take is making sure they can receive weather alerts when severe conditions develop. That may include enabling emergency alerts on a phone, downloading weather apps or following updates from local news.
“The main thing is just knowing when there is the potential for severe weather,” Willis said. “It’s staying tuned in to your local programming even here at channel 10 or just understanding when we do have those big weather days and being in a place where you can hear watches and warnings when they’re issued.”
She said people should also avoid situations where they may not be able to receive warnings.
“You don’t want to be in a hike in the middle of the woods when you can’t hear a warning,” Willis said.
Watch vs. warning
“I think the biggest misconception is not understanding the difference between watches and warnings and even advisories,” Willis said.
She used a simple analogy to explain it.
“It’s like if you have a bunch of taco ingredients out in front of you. You have the guac and you have the sour cream. You have everything settled but it’s not together. That’s what a watch,” Willis said. “The warning is the taco is full up and you need to get in your safe space at this point.”
In simple terms, a watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather, while a warning means the threat is happening or imminent.
“When there’s a warning issued, whatever steps are listed in that bulletin, that’s an immediate call to action,” Willis said.
Modern warnings are also more precise than they used to be. Instead of covering an entire county, many alerts now focus on specific geographic areas, meaning the warning may apply directly to someone’s location.
Tornadoes and the statewide tornado drill
The statewide tornado drill on March 10 is meant to help people practice those safety procedures, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
The drill will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System as a Required Monthly Test, but there will not be an actual tornado warning issued, and alerts will not be sent to cell phones, according to the agency.
Because many weather radios do not automatically sound an alarm during the monthly test, residents may need to turn on their radios around 9:40 a.m. to hear the broadcast before beginning their drill at 9:45 a.m., according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Families without a weather radio can simply begin practicing their safety plan at that time.
Meteorologists say preparation is especially important for families.
“I think the most important thing, especially families, if you have littles, be sure and prepare them as well and go through the steps and maybe even do drills,” Willis said.
Practicing what to do ahead of time can help prevent panic during a real emergency.
“If you have severe thunderstorm warnings or even our area, we have the rare tornado spin up to know what to do and have a drill and have place in time set with your family where you can go through these steps and know what do so you’re not panicking,” she said.
Officials recommend identifying a safe place inside the home — such as an interior room on the lowest level away from windows — and reviewing safety steps together before severe weather strikes.
Severe thunderstorms
Even without a tornado, strong thunderstorms can cause significant damage across Virginia.
Strong winds, hail and lightning can knock down trees, damage power lines and create hazardous travel conditions.
Lightning can also strike farther away from storms than many people realize.
“Lightning actually there’s a core to each thunderstorm and that lightning strikes 10 to 15 miles away from that core,” Willis said. “You might not even have raindrops on the windshield yet but you still in danger of being struck by lightning.”
Flash flooding
Another major threat during severe weather in Virginia is flash flooding.
“We’re also really prone to hydrological events, flooding events, this big concern just because of our topography in the area,” Willis said. “And of course severe thunderstorms, which I think people underestimate severe thunderstorms a lot in our area because we can have a lot of that straight line wind damage that it’s accompanying those bigger storms.”
Willis also stressed the risk of driving during floods.
“When you’re out on the roadways and you see a puddle and you think, you know, I can splash through this, no problem, but it’s very easy, it’s very, very easy to get swept away in a car,” Willis said.
It takes only a small amount of water to become dangerous.
“It actually takes as little as six inches to see that car actually either lifted off the ground or to even knock some people off their feet,” Willis said.