If you hear tornado sirens and other warnings going off on Thursday, you may not have to be alarmed.
The Wisconsin Emergency Management and the National Weather Service will use April 20th as a day to conduct its statewide tornado drill. The drills will take place at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Both the NWS and WEM’s ReadyWisconsin campaign will post information on social media about the drill in addition to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Radio test.
Other communities will take part in the statewide tornado drill by testing out their sirens or other emergency communications. In Kewaunee County, for example, they will use it as an opportunity to test their RaveAlert system, which makes calls to landlines and sends text messages to cell phones to alert residents of different emergencies. Kewaunee County Emergency Management Director Tracy Nollenberg says it is important that residents take this time to go over their severe weather plans and practice them during the drills. She recommends having an NOAA weather radio handy, a weather app downloaded on smartphones, and registration be completed for Kewaunee County’s mass emergency notification system, RaveAlert to receive information specific to Kewaunee County.
The statewide tornado drill corresponds with Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week. If there is severe weather on April 20th, the drill will take place on April 21st.
