Statewide tornado drills are planned in Missouri and Kansas Tuesday, starting at 1:30 p.m., as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Not everyone is taking part.

In the St Joseph School District, each school will have such a drill sometime this spring, but it is up to each school to schedule them. Officials say they have at least two tornado drills each year, generally one in the fall and another in the spring.  Northwest Missouri State University will be taking part.  Missouri Western students are on Spring Break, and thus will not participate  in the statewide drill.

In 2011, the National Weather Service reported 80 tornadoes in Missouri, while in Kansas there 68 tornadoes statewide. The statistics for tornado deaths and injuries in Missouri were dramatically higher, owing largely to the large number of casualties caused by the tornado in Joplin last May. The weather service office in St Louis published statewide statistics available here.

Officials say that when severe weather strikes you often have only a few minutes to respond and seek shelter. Robert Moser, M.D., the State Health Officer in Kansas, says they recommend everyone become familiar with the type of weather they may encounter at different times of the year, prepare an emergency disaster kit and practice their emergency plan frequently.

The states of Oklahoma and Texas had similar observances last month.

Northwest Missouri State University will be taking part. Missouri Western students are on Spring Break, and thus will not take part in the statewide drill.

Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency launched the videos posted above demonstrating tornado sheltering in schools, houses and mobile homes in preparation for severe weather season.