Wisconsin will hold its statewide tornado drill on Thursday, April 15.
Held in conjunction with Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week, the drill is a reminder for residents to discuss and practice what to do during a tornado warning.
At both 1:45 and 6:45 p.m. Thursday, residents are encouraged to pause what they are doing and practice going to their designated shelter location. If there is severe weather expected anywhere in Wisconsin, the drill will be moved to Friday, April 16.
ReadyWisconsin officials noted that one change people might notice this year is that the drill will not include a mock tornado warning issued as a live code test of the Emergency Alert System. As a result, there will be no test alerts sounded on NOAA Weather Radios.
While some television and radio stations might break into coverage or display information on screen during the drill times, others might choose to address the drill during their regular local news programming instead.
In place of those alerts, residents can expect to see messages from ReadyWisconsin and its partners across social media at 1:45 and 6:45 p.m. that encourage everyone to participate in the drill. ReadyWisconsin also encourages people to add the drill times to their calendar to remind them to practice their plans on April 15.
“Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are a frequent weather threat across the state each year, and it’s important that people know what to do when the skies darken and warnings are issued,” said Dr. Darrell L. Williams, Wisconsin Emergency Management administrator.
“During the statewide tornado drill, we ask everyone to practice their plan by going to their emergency shelter location,” Williams added.
He noted that Wisconsin averages 23 tornadoes annually. During the 2020 season, the National Weather Service confirmed that 20 tornadoes touched down in the state.
While spring and summer are the most active time of the year for tornadoes, they can happen in any month.
To stay safe from severe weather, ReadyWisconsin encourages people to do 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. Outdoor warning sirens, a NOAA Weather Radio, local media, and smart phone apps are all important tools. Don’t rely on any single source for important life-saving alerts.
• If you have a mobile device, make sure it is enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts. On many devices, that option is available in the settings menu.
• Keep up to date on the daily forecast for your area. It can help ensure you are ready for potential severe weather threats.
• Create an emergency kit for your home, with supplies such as food, water, a flashlight, and first aid kit. Find tips for building a kit at https://readywisconsin.wi.gov.
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