Local students took cover in the hallways of their schools for a statewide tornado drill Tuesday morning.

Alerts and sirens sounded at 9:45 a.m. for thousands of students statewide.
It's practice for a worst case scenario.

Waterman Elementary's assistant principal Linda McCormick says these types of drills give parents and school administrators peace of mind.

"A lot of thought has gone into providing them a safe location and a safe set of procedures to follow, so that students aren't frightened and they know what to do and they can do it confidently," says McCormick.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management says tornadoes have been reported during every month of the year and in every part of the state.