NATCHEZ — Tornado sirens in Adams County will be tested at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday.

The sirens will be a part of Adams County’s participation in National Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Adams County Emergency Management Director Stan Owens said he will also be testing the Emergency Alert System a few minutes before the 9:15 a.m. drill as well.

The EAS system is a one-way communication system that allows emergency management teams and the national weather service to deliver messages to schools, hospitals, government buildings and some businesses in the event of an emergency.

The system, which is the size of half a shoebox, works similar to a paging system, Owens said.

Owens said he encourages families and businesses to conduct their own drill Wednesday at home or work.

November sees historically high rates of tornadoes in Mississippi, so the drill should serve as good preparation, Owens said.

Owens said the sirens will not be tested in the event of bad weather.