MADISON, Wis. — Dane County is preparing residents for Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week. 

“Severe weather can develop quickly, which is why you should have a plan for how you will be notified about storms and know where you can seek shelter,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard.

Dane County Emergency Management encourages everyone to have multiple sources of information for severe weather alerts.

Emergency management operates a network of 144 outdoor warning sirens throughout the county. If you hear one, it’s a signal to head indoors to a safe location and seek additional information. 

The county activates its sirens when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a tornado warning or a severe thunderstorm warning that carries the “destructive” tag, which means it is capable of producing 80 mph winds and/or baseball-sized hail.

Sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of the month at noon, weather permitting. While Wisconsin’s statewide tornado drill is scheduled for Thursday this year, Dane County will not sound its sirens during the drill times. Residents are still encouraged to practice their tornado safety plans at home, work and school on that date.

If you are outside when a warning is issued, head indoors to a safe location as quickly as you can. 

When a tornado warning is issued, seek shelter inside a sturdy building, preferably in a basement or a ground floor interior room with no windows. Be sure to bring a way to receive updates with you, such as a weather radio or your cell phone.

To help the public learn more about weather safety, Dane County is hosting two NWS Storm Spotter trainings on Wednesday, April 22. These sessions are free and open to anyone interested in becoming a trained weather spotter.

• 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Waunakee Public Library (201 N. Madison St., Waunakee, WI)
• 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Dane County Emergency Management (2982 Kapec Road, Fitchburg, WI)

These sessions will cover weather safety for spotters and the general public, along with the essentials of what you need to know to report severe weather to the NWS.

 In Rock County, the outdoor warning sirens will be activated for statewide tornado drills Thursday. The drills will happen at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. 

If there is a threat of severe weather, Thursday the statewide drills will be postponed until Friday. 

Notification of the drill status will be posted on ReadyWisconsin  by

10 a.m. Thursday morning. 

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