email: ckoplien@todaystmj4.com
The annual "Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week" in Wisconsin takes place next week. This provides a great opportunity for schools and business to practice the procedures they will follow if threatened by severe weather this spring and summer.
Below is a statement issued by the National Weather Service detailing the mock Tornado Watch and Warning that will be issued on Thursday, April 24th. I'd encourage you to forward this information to businesses and schools you are associated with and ask they take some time to practice their safety procedures.
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April 21-25, 2008 - Tornado & Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin
The week of April 21-25, 2008 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 24th, 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). 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). 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
