The National Weather Service (NWS)  issued a slew of alerts on Friday, April 26th. However, something about these alerts was different than normal. Rather than the usual ‘Tornado Warning’ and ‘Tornado Watch’ alerts, a ‘Tornado Emergency’ was issued.

According to The Weather Channel, this alert is reserved for the worst situations, and is rarely issued. It is an enhanced version of a ‘Tornado Warning’ that is issued when extreme impact is expected. The warning has no standard for which it should be issued, and is issued at the discretion of the National Weather Service. This means that many students and teachers are unaware of its meaning.

“It kind of made me curious.” senior Madysen Geislar said. “I wanted to know what the alert was about. You could see that people’s parents started to call them to make sure they were okay.”

Geislar was not the only one who noticed an immediate shift in the atmosphere after the issuing of the ‘Tornado Emergency’. Many other students also had the anxiety that something bigger was coming.

“I did not really know that a tornado could be this bad. I have been through tornado watches and warnings before, but [the Tornado Emergency alert made] everybody seem really anxious to leave and see what was going on.” said junior Alaina Kloewer.

As the spring season continues, it is possible that we could see more of these increased severity alerts in the near future. Students and staff alike should understand that if another ‘Tornado Emergency’ is issued, they must take it seriously.