LANSING, MI (WHTC) – For a statewide test, it would probably be marked as a C.
Media outlets across most of Michigan participated in a tornado warning test on Wednesday afternoon. It was slated for 1 PM, and the alerts were issued six minutes late.
The National Weather Service activated the test messages, and for those served by the Grand Rapids NWS office, they issued the test 52 minutes early, at 12:08 PM. Staffers at the facility on the grounds of Gerald Ford International Airport say that it was “an undetermined computer issue” that led to the premature firing of the alert. While some media outlets in West Michigan had to answer calls and online messages from viewers and listeners when the early warning sounded, no such concerns were received by the Midwest Communications offices in Holland.
The test warning was part of Severe Weather Awareness Week activities held statewide, aimed at making residents aware of the dangers that unstable weather patterns can create in the spring so they can plan beforehand measures to keep them safe in the event of an actual storm.
