South Florida is known for terrible weather. On Friday, Jan. 15, under the landscape of heavy rains, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Collier Counties remained under tornado watch throughout the day until 5 p.m. on Jan. 15.

Around 1:20 p.m. a tornado watch was issued for Palm Beach County. Dreyfoos locked down for nearly an hour and a half as students and faculty braced the severe weather in the event a tornado did strike.

“We’ve been under a tornado watch all day and we just have to keep our ears open all day. When they say we are in a tornado warning that means the weather is so precise they know a tornado is going to form so everyone just hunkers down,” Assistant Principal Leo Barrett said. “The closest tornado sighting now was in Riviera Beach which is not that far away from West Palm Beach [and Dreyfoos].”

In fall of 2015, Dreyfoos conducted a tornado drill in order to prepare in the event of a catastrophe. Palm Beach County schools are required to conduct 10 fire drills, two code red drills, two tornado drills, one code yellow drill, one code blue drill, and one code yellow drill every year.

“The purpose [of these practice drills] are to keep people’s minds fresh on what to do so that if any [danger strikes] we are able to [respond] as quickly and as safely as possible,” Mr. Barrett said. “Today was real. Today was not a drill.”

Students missed large portions of both fourth and sixth periods. Throughout the county transportation ran behind as many schools did not dismiss students until the tornado warning was lifted at around 2:40 p.m. Students were not allowed to leave shelter and some had difficulties finding bathrooms as they were not allowed into areas deemed unsafe.

“I have never used the boys’ bathroom before so it was a different experience,” communications junior Stephanie Hartman said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I walked into the bathroom it hit me.”