This is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week; drill set for Thursday

NOAA photo /public domain

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Division of Emergency Management has released the following statement on Wisconsin’s Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week, including information on a tornado drill to take place Thursday, April 18:

Listen, Act and Live! Those words could protect you and your family during severe storm season. Listening to warnings and seeking shelter immediately will save lives. That’s why the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Bureau of Emergency Management, Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM), ReadyWisconsin and the National Weather Service (NWS) have teamed up for Wisconsin’s Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week April 15-19, 2013. Did you know that… • Wisconsin averages 23 tornadoes annually. • Last year, only 4 tornadoes were reported in Wisconsin by the NWS. The strongest tornado in 2012 hit near Patch Grove in Grant County on September 4. No fatalities or injuries were reported. • In 2011, 38 tornadoes in Wisconsin were confirmed by the NWS, the fourth highest number on record. On August 19, a man was killed when a tornado with winds of 105 mph struck Marinette County. • The peak tornado season in Wisconsin is April to August, but tornadoes can occur any time of year, like the January 7, 2008 storms near Kenosha. On Thursday, April 18, 2013, a statewide tornado drill is planned. At 1:00pm, the National Weather Service will issue a statewide mock tornado watch and at 1:45pm a statewide mock tornado warning. Many radio and TV stations will participate in the drill. In addition, NOAA weather radios (also known as emergency weather radios) will issue alert messaging. This is an ideal opportunity for schools, businesses and families to practice safe procedures for severe weather. Important: The tornado drill will take place even if the sky is cloudy, dark and/or rainy. If actual severe storms are expected in the state on Thursday April 18, the tornado drill will be postponed until Friday, April 19 with the same times. If severe storms are possible Friday the drill will be cancelled.

More severe weather information from Emergency Management here.