April 20-24, 2009 - Wisconsin Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week
Drill Day is Thursday April 23, 2009 from 1 to 2 PM. 

The week of April 20-24, 2009 is Tornado & Severe Weather Awarness Week in Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin Emegency Management team and the five National Weather Service Forecast Offices that service Wisconsin are asking that everyone take time to go over their safety plans so that they will be ready when severe weather strikes.

On Thursday, April 23th, a mock tornado drill will be conducted, with a mock tornado watch issued for all of Wisconsin and the adjacent coastal waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior at 1 P.M.  On NOAA Weather Radio All Hazard this mock tornado watch will be broadcast as a Required Weekly Test (RWT). Additionally, on the NOAA Weather Wire, the test watch will appear in the product identifier of WCN (Watch County Notification) issued by each of the 5 NWS offices.  Some of the newer weather radios will not receive the tone-activation for the RWT, however, you will hear the mock tornado watch message in the weather radio broadcast cycle if you turn your radio on.   Between 1:10 and 1:55 P.M., each of the five NWS offices will issue mock tornado warnings.  Likewise, the mock tornado warnings will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards as a Required Weekly Test (RWT).  Additionaly, the test tornado warnings will be issued on the NOAA Weather Wire system by the 5 NWS offices in a test TOR product identifier.  Some of the newer weather radios will not receive the tone-activation for the RWT, however, you will hear the mock tornado warning message in the weather radio broadcast cycle if you turn your radio on.  At 2 P.M the mock tornado drill will end. 

Here’s the schedule for the mock tornado drill:

1:00 P.M.  -  a mock (test) tornado watch is issued for all of Wisconsin by the Storm Prediction Center

1:10 to 1:15 P.M.  - the Green Bay NWS office issues their mock (test) tornado warnings

1:20 to 1:25 P.M.  - the Milwaukee/Sullivan office issues their mock (test) tornado warnings

1:30 to 1:35 P.M.  - the La Crosse office issues their mock (test) tornado warnings

1:40 to 1:45 P.M.  - the Minneapolis/Chanhassen office issues their mock (test) tornado warnings

1:50 to 1:55 P.M   - the Duluth office issues their mock tornado warnings

2 P.M.  - the mock tornado drill ends with the issuances of test Severe Weather Statements by the five NWS offices 

SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER BE PRESENT ANYWHERE IN WISCONSIN ON THE DAY OF THE DRILL...THE TEST WATCH AND WARNINGS WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL FRIDAY APRIL 24th WITH THE SAME TIME SCHEDULE. IF SEVERE WEATHER IS FORECAST FOR FRIDAY...THE DRILL WILL BE CANCELED. 

Wisconsin averages 21 tornadoes per year, with most tornadoes occurring in the 3 to 9 P.M. time-frame. The busiest spin-up hour is 6 to 7 P.M. The peak tornado season in Wisconsin is May through August, with June having the greatest number of tornadoes. A record-setting 62 tornadoes occurred in 2005, followed by 43 in 1980. In 2008, Wisconsin had 38 tornadoes, including one EF3 tornado in western Kenosha County on January 7th. The "average" Wisconsin tornado has a 7 to 8 minute duration, a path length of about 4 to 5 miles, and a damage width of about 120 yards.

 Another hazard of the warm-season is powerful, straight-line thunderstorm winds that can peak at 75 to 150 mph. Every year Wisconsin will get a few storms that generate hurricane-force winds of at least 75 to 100 mph. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are issued for these wind events, rather than Tornado Warnings. The bottom line is - if you don’t feel safe, head for a sturdy shelter, go the lowest level of the building, and get away from windows and exterior walls.

Other warm-season hazards include large hail stones that can result in damage in the millions of dollars, localized flash floods or widespread river and lowland flooding, lightning, and excessive heat. In fact, excessive heat is the biggest weather-killer in Wisconsin over the long haul!

Here is a listing of the worst killer tornadoes in Wisconsin (not necessarily the most intense or longest-tracked):



Local Public Information Statements

Events/Deaths/Injuries Stats: 1982-2008 (Graphics)

Associated Links:

National Severe Weather Safety and Awareness Site
National Heat Wave Site

NWS Handouts and Flyers

Famous Tornado Outbreaks across the United States
A list of Wisconsin's Costliest Tornadoes
A list of Wisconsin's Deadliest Tornadoes
A list of the longest documented Tornado Tracks in Wisconsin

Spotter Organizations:

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