568
NOUS43 KLMK 271209
PNSLMK
INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067-
070>078-081-082-280015-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Louisville, KY
709 AM EST Thu Feb 27 2025 /609 AM CST Thu Feb 27 2025/

To:     Subscribers:
  -NOAA Weather Wire Service
  -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network
  -NOAAPORT
  Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees

From:  John Gordon
         Meteorologist-in-Charge, NWS Louisville, KY

Subject: Kentucky Statewide NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR)
  and Emergency Alert System (EAS) Live Event Code Test for a
  Tornado Warning on March 5, 2025 at 10:07 AM EST

The National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) in
Jackson, Louisville and Paducah, KY, and Charleston, WV; the Kentucky
Emergency Management Agency; and the Kentucky Broadcasters
Association plan to conduct a live code Tornado Warning test on
Wednesday, March 5 at approximately 10:07 AM Eastern Standard Time
(EST) throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The purpose of this test is to support the Kentucky Statewide Tornado
Drill, part of Kentuckys annual Severe Weather Awareness Week. The
use of the live event code is intended to maximize participation
in the Statewide Tornado Drill by local Emergency Management Agencies
and by broadcast partners, increasing the preparedness of partners
and the public.

The emergency test message will be broadcast across the Commonwealth
of Kentucky via audio and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME)
tones over 38 of the 41 NOAA Weather Radio transmitters serving
Kentucky and will activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Per
agreement with Cincinnati-area broadcasters, the live code test
will not be conducted for the counties in northern Kentucky served
by the WFO in Wilmington, Ohio.

The audio message will state that the message is only a test. The
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) text messages will use a
Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) Product Class Code of /T/ for Test
and the word Test will be repeated several times in the body of
the message. The test will not be sent to cellphones via the
Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, although in an actual
Tornado Warning this system would be used.

Please note the 38 participating NWR transmitters conducting the live
event code test will not conduct a Required Weekly Test on March 5,
2025.

The test will be postponed and rescheduled to a fair-weather day if
there are significant weather hazards in Kentucky on the morning
of March 5. A rescheduled test will be preceded by another Public
Information Statement.

Table 1. The NWS text products to be disseminated by WFOs Jackson,
Louisville and Paducah, KY, and Charleston, WV during the test.

Product Name  WFO   WMO Heading AWIPS ID
---------------      -----------   -----------    --------
Tornado Warning      Jackson   WFUS53 KJKL    TORJKL
Tornado Warning      Louisville    WFUS53 KLMK    TORLMK
Tornado Warning      Paducah   WFUS53 KPAH    TORPAH
Tornado Warning      Charleston    WFUS53 KRLX    TORRLX

Frequently-asked questions are provided online at:
https://www.weather.gov/lmk/KentuckyTornadoDrill

For more information, please contact:

Ron Steve
Assistant Warning Coordination Meteorologist
NWS Louisville, KY
Ronald.Steve@noaa.gov
502-969-8842

Michael Kochasic
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
NWS Louisville, KY
Michael.Kochasic@noaa.gov
502-969-8842

Christine Wielgos
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
NWS Paducah, KY
christine.wielgos@noaa.gov
270-744-6440

Jane Marie Wix
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
NWS Jackson, KY
Jane.Wix@noaa.gov
606-666-2560

Tony Edwards
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
NWS Charleston, WV
Tony.Edwards@noaa.gov
304-356-3390

National Service Change Notices are online at:

https://www.weather.gov/notification


$$