Maryland Department of Emergency Management officials and the National Weather Service launched Severe Storms Awareness Week on April 6, 2026, in Hanover, Maryland, urging residents across the state, including Southern Maryland communities in Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert counties, to prepare for spring hazards. The weeklong initiative runs through April 12 and carries the theme “Be #MdReady: Resilience Starts With You!” It features daily safety messages and culminates in a statewide tornado drill known as The Great Maryland Twister Test.
Secretary of Emergency Management Russ Strickland encouraged immediate action. “Now is the time for all Marylanders and visitors to take action,” he said. “Participate in The Great Maryland Twister Test, review your emergency plans, and set up multiple ways to receive alerts through the MdReady WebApp and local text notifications. Being prepared today can save lives, minimize disruption, and help our communities stay safe and recover faster when severe weather strikes.”
Each day highlights a specific threat common to Maryland, including Southern Maryland’s vulnerability to flooding along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, damaging winds, tornadoes, hail and lightning. The schedule includes:
- Monday, April 6: Flooding
- Tuesday, April 7: Damaging
- Winds Wednesday, April 8: Tornadoes and The Great Maryland Twister Test Tornado Drill
- Thursday, April 9: Hail
- Friday, April 10: Lightning
The tornado drill is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday. Residents, schools, businesses and organizations are asked to practice their response as if a tornado warning had been issued.
This year’s observance also marks the rollout of the Resilient Maryland Strategy, the state’s first comprehensive whole-of-government roadmap for strengthening disaster and climate resilience. The strategy aligns existing plans under one unified vision and outlines 20 goals and 50 recommendations, with 31 that can begin immediately using current resources. It covers five key sectors: environment and natural systems, housing, community and local government capacity, food systems, and critical infrastructure.
The plan takes an all-hazards approach that addresses flooding, severe storms, extreme heat and the growing effects of climate change. It builds on the Next Generation Adaptation Plan, State Hazard Mitigation Plan and Climate Implementation Plans while providing a streamlined framework for coordinated action.
Maryland Chief Resilience Officer Mike Hinson described the need for unified planning. “As a former local emergency manager, I know firsthand the weight of trying to protect a community while navigating a fragmented landscape of resources and rising risks,” he said. “The strategy helps Maryland adopt a proactive, unified defense against disasters. It’s about ensuring that every jurisdiction—no matter how small—has the technical support and strategic backing to thrive in the face of disasters and climate change.”
Maryland Chief Sustainability Officer Meghan Conklin emphasized the inclusive focus. “This strategy is a clear commitment to every Marylander that their government is prepared to adapt, withstand, and swiftly recover from any disruption to daily life,” she said. “By moving beyond traditional silos and focusing on place-based strategies, we are ensuring that Maryland isn’t just surviving emergencies—such as those posed by climate change—but thriving in spite of them. We are building a state where our strategies are as inclusive as they are robust, with a relentless focus on safeguarding our most vulnerable communities.”
The National Weather Service offices supporting the week include the Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office, which covers most of Maryland; the Mount Holly office for Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties; and the Wakefield office for Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties on the Eastern Shore. Southern Maryland falls primarily under the Baltimore/Washington office.
James E. Lee, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office, stressed the importance of quick response. “A significant part of Maryland’s weather-related damage comes from severe thunderstorms and tornadoes,” he said. “The National Weather Service typically identifies these weather hazards minutes in advance, and immediately issues weather warnings for Marylanders to take action. It is vital that Marylanders receive our warnings quickly, and rapidly respond to get out of harm’s way. Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week reminds people to develop their family weather safety plan, and practice this week in order to be ready.”
Maryland Department of Emergency Management staff recently conducted training to strengthen coordination. A Maryland Qualification System credentialing exercise using a tornado scenario involved 15 participants, one observer and 11 evaluators from organizations across the state. The exercise simulated an eight-hour multi-operational period incident to evaluate incident management team roles.
MDEM also coordinates exercises based on flooding, winter storms and nuclear power plant incidents to mirror the range of hazards facing Maryland, including those that could affect Southern Maryland’s coastal and rural areas.
Residents can sign up for alerts by texting MdReady to 211-631 or using the MdReady WebApp. Officials remind Marylanders that resilience requires action at every level, from individual families to state agencies.
In Southern Maryland, where severe thunderstorms can bring flash flooding to low-lying roads and communities near the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay, participation in Severe Storms Awareness Week offers practical steps to reduce risk. Local emergency management offices encourage families to identify safe shelter locations, assemble emergency kits and ensure multiple ways to receive warnings.
The week serves as a reminder that preparation through planning, practice and partnership helps communities withstand spring storms and recover more quickly.
