The city of Fort Atkinson will be participating in a statewide tornado drill Thursday, according to information released by city officials Tuesday.
The drill will take place at 1:45 and 6:45 p.m., the release stated.
Fort Atkinson Emergency Management Director Daryl Rausch noted within the release that the drill offers an opportunity for community members to practice their own emergency response plans.
The statewide tornado drill is a preparedness response coming alongside of Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week, which has been declared by Gov. Tony Evers and is being observed this week, according to information released by the city.
The observance offers statewide residents an opportunity to prepare for weather occurrences such as tornadoes, thunderstorms and flooding.
According to Wisconsin Emergency Management, as stated within the city’s release, Wisconsin has had 13 tornadoes since the start of the year. Wisconsin averages 23 tornadoes annually. In 2022, the release continued, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that 28 tornadoes touched down in the state, damaging homes, trees, and power lines.
Tornadoes and severe storms can develop quickly, the release noted, further advising residents to learn how to protect themselves and where to seek shelter.
The release offers tips for severe weather preparation from ReadyWisconsin, including the following:
• Create an emergency plan and practice it.
• Know where designated shelters are located at home, work and school, and be ready to go there when a tornado warning is issued.
• Have multiple ways to receive alerts about approaching severe weather, including outdoor warning sirens, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios, local media and smart phone apps, which can all serve as important tools. Don’t rely on any single source for important lifesaving information.
• Those with mobile devices are encouraged to enabled them to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). On many devices, that option is available in the settings menu. More information about WEA is here: https://readywisconsin.wi.gov/be- informed/be-alert/.
• Stay weather-aware by checking the local daily forecast.
• Create a home emergency kit. Tips for making a kit can be found here: https://readywisconsin.wi.gov.
“As the city of Fort Atkinson’s emergency management director, I strongly encourage all residents to participate in the statewide tornado drill (on Thursday). Severe weather, including tornadoes, can strike without warning, and (it) is crucial for our community to be prepared,” Rausch, who also is the Fort Atkinson fire chief, was quoted as saying in the release.
According to the release, would severe weather become a threat on Thursday, the statewide drills will be postponed until Friday, April 21.
If severe weather is also expected on Friday, the drills will be canceled, the release stated.
Damage is present after storms move between Concord and Dousman in July of 2021. An earlier story reporting tornado damage in Wisconsin in 2021 is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/national-weather-service-reports-12-tornado-touchdowns-on-july-29/. File Photo/National Weather Service. An earlier story reporting tornados moving through the Fort Atkinson Online readership area this year is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/tornados-reported-in-walworth-jefferson-counties/.
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