As spring unfolds its beauty across the state of Wisconsin, the looming threat of tornadoes and severe weather heightens, threatening both property and lives.
Peak tornado season takes place between March and June every year. In response to tornado season, the National Weather Service (NWS) conducts tornado drills in the spring, where officials help citizens practice and prepare for these weather events.
Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin occurred from April 8-12, aiming to inform the public about severe weather conditions and subsequent safety protocols, according to Wisconsin Emergency Management. Citizens are encouraged to review their plans for when severe weather conditions occur.
“The goal is to get people out of ‘winter mode’ and have them start to think about severe weather and the potential for tornadoes,” said Timothy Halbach, warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS in Milwaukee.
The NWS planned to conduct two tornado drills during the awareness week this year, both on April 11 at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. However, due to severe thunderstorms in Wisconsin that night, the NWS canceled its 6:45 p.m. drill.
One of the biggest challenges faced when conducting a drill is the potential of a real severe weather threat, Halbach said.
“We don’t want people to get confused about whether it’s a drill or the real thing,” he said.
There are several factors the NWS takes into consideration when planning a drill, Halbach said. These involve tasks such as making sure that the drill coincides with severe weather awareness week, as well as ensuring schools are in session so that children have time to practice the drills.“One of the things that we try to avoid is having [a drill] during the week of spring break. We like to have it as a time for schools to have a chance to go through and do their tornado drills,” Halbach said.
About a month before the drill, representatives from the NWS, the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, the Wisconsin Broadcaster Association and public information officers meet to finalize drill plans. The representatives meet again the week of the drill to check the forecast.
Dane County Emergency Management also conducts monthly tests of tornado sirens. The sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of every month at approximately 12:00 p.m. — as long as there isn't a threat of severe weather.
There are 141 outdoor warning sirens in Dane County, along with four sirens covering the entire UW-Madison campus.
Dane County Emergency Management emphasizes the importance of hypervigilance around severe weather threats on its website. While warning sirens quickly communicate impending danger, the department recommends residents use NOAA weather radios, smartphone apps and local media to stay up-to-date when severe weather is near.
“We try to do as much as we can, but a lot of it is in people’s own hands,” Halbach said. “The success comes when the real days occur for severe weather and whether or not people are taking action at those points.”
Wisconsin has been the site of 1,537 documented tornadoes since 1844, according to the National Weather Service, with 511 fatalities attributed to these twisters.
