Tornado damage in Merrill PHOTO: Matt Lehman, WSAU
Not that we need reminding, but this is tornado awareness week in Wisconsin. The week started out with tornadoes wreaking havoc across north central Wisconsin. “Ten tornadoes on one day in April is a powerful reminder of the storms that we’re going to be facing in the spring and into the summer,” said Tod Pritchard, Wisconsin’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. Pritchard said Tornado Awareness Week provides an opportunity for families, schools and businesses to make sure everyone knows what to do, and where to go. “To just kind of remind ourselves about those things that we forget over the long winter, where to find protection in your office, in your school. It’s just kind of good to go through those reminders.”
When you’re at home, Pritchard said under a desk or table in the basement is the safest place to be, and suggests grabbing some blankets to protect yourself from debris. If the home has no basement, seek shelter under a desk or table in an interior room. And Pritchard dispelled a myth that a highway overpass is the safest place to ride out a tornado if you’re on the road. “That’s actually the worst place you can go. You’re probably safer standing out in the middle of a field. The wind intensifies underneath those overpasses.”
Pritchard said a weather radio is the best way to alert your household to tornadoes and other severe weather. A statewide tornado preparedness drill, including the sounding of sirens, takes place today between 1:00 and 2:00 PM.