Waukesha County to Test Weather Sirens for Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week
Waukesha County will sound its weather sirens as part of the statewide mock tornado warning drill during Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week on Thursday, April 11, 2019. The sirens will be activated once at 1:45 p.m. and again at 6:45 p.m. If severe weather is anticipated, the drill will be postponed until Friday, April 12.
“Severe weather is just a part of life in Wisconsin, so it’s important that residents are prepared for the possibility of a tornado or other dangerous weather,” said Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow.
Waukesha County Emergency Management encourages all residents to participate in the drill by identifying a tornado-sheltering site and practicing family sheltering plans. Outdoor weather sirens are only intended to notify people who are outside, so residents should take steps to confirm that they have the ability to receive severe weather alerts. Downloading alerting apps, tuning into the local news channel or having a NOAA weather radio are all good ways to have situational awareness for severe weather. Residents can also register for weather alerts in the County’s AlertSense mass notification system by going to https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/?regionid=1140
Outdoor weather sirens are owned by municipalities, but most are activated by Waukesha County. The County activated weather sirens are sounded for tornado warnings and damaging winds greater than 80 mph. Waukesha County works closely with the National Weather Service to ensure severe weather information is accurate and timely.
About the Waukesha County Office of Emergency Management
The Waukesha County Office of Emergency Management (WCEM) is a division of Waukesha County’s Department of Emergency Preparedness. WCEM coordinates a comprehensive and integrated emergency management program designed to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from the effects of natural and technological hazards which potentially impact the welfare, safety and health of all Waukesha County citizens.
For more information, head to www.waukeshacounty.gov/EmergencyManagement
