(WFRV) – Thursday marks Wisconsin’s annual Statewide Tornado Drill as part of Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week across the state. At 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. on April 10, NOAA’s weather radios will be activated, and the outdoor warning sirens will be heard. However, phones will not be alerted, as this is only a drill.
The National Weather Service told Local 5 that those times were picked intentionally so that residents could practice their severe weather plans at various locations.
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“The purpose of doing them at those two different times is at 1:45 p.m., you are typically at school or your workplace, so think of the safety plan and where you would go to keep yourself safe if that were an actual tornado and then at 6:45 p.m., a lot of us might be at home or maybe we are out at our baseball or softball games, so think about your safety plan there too,” explained National Weather Service Green Bay Meteorologist Kurt Kotenberg.
Once the calendar flips to April, the threat of severe weather exponentially increases. Since 1950, Wisconsin has documented 108 tornadoes in the month of April, 257 in the month of May, with the highest being in June at 466. Wisconsin sees, on average, 23 tornadoes a year; however, last year nearly doubled that number at 45, making it the third most active season on record.
When asked about those important reminders ahead of severe weather season, Kotenberg urges residents to take thirty to sixty seconds each day to check the weather forecast. If the weather is going to be quiet, then you are in the clear. However, if there is a threat of thunderstorms, do a deeper dive into the timing and level of severity so you know where you will be before the storm arrives.
Another reminder is to make sure you have ways to receive weather information. Whether that be through television, weather radio, or smart phones, it’s important to make sure devices are fully charged or have fresh batteries well in advance.
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Finally and most importantly, as part of today’s drills, identify where you would seek shelter in the event a tornado warning were ever issued for your location. The safest place to be is in a basement, but if your building does not have one, the next best place is an interior room like a hallway, bathroom, or closet. The goal is to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
For those in a mobile home, these structures can not withstand the winds of a tornado. If a warning is issued, quickly move to a sturdy structure to seek shelter there. If you know severe weather is possible, plan ahead to stay with someone who has a sturdy structure.
Last year, Wisconsin saw its first recorded tornadoes in the month of February when an EF-1 tornado touched down in Green county and an EF-2 tornado roared through Dan, Jefferson, and Rock counties. So, while this is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness week, Kotenberg says the severe weather plan should be something that is thought about around the clock.
These drills are put on by each county’s emergency management team. Daniel Kane serves as Brown County’s Emergency Management Director. During Thursday’s drills, Kane said he and his team take this seriously as practice makes perfect when it comes to the real event.
“We take this very seriously and we think the public should take these very seriously as all these things can impact us and it only takes one real event, specifically the severe weather and tornadoes that could be years of life changing recovery on the back end,” said Kane.
Kane went on to say that it is very important to take a few minutes to make sure you have all the necessary supplies, including a first aid kit, whistle, hard toed shoes and extra clothes. While these do not occur every day, Kane says these reminders will be helpful, especially if the real event were to occur.
