Winnebago County will test their outdoor warning sirens this Thursday during participation in two scheduled statewide tornado drills.

The Wisconsin 2023 Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness week campaign runs April 17-21. April 21 is the backup date for the statewide drill, in the event of severe weather on April 20.

The tornado drills will take place even if the sky is cloudy, dark or rainy.
The drill schedule includes:

• 1:45 p.m. – National Weather Service issues a mock tornado warning (a warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated on weather radar. Move to a safe place immediately).
• 2 p.m. – End of 1:45 p.m. mock tornado warning drill
• 6:45 p.m. – National Weather Service issues a mock tornado warning for all of Wisconsin.
•  p.m. – End of 6:45 p.m. mock tornado warning drill

The drills no longer include a live EAS test and mock tornado watch/warning issued by the National Weather Service. The NWS will conduct NOAA Weather Radio Tests during the 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. drill times, but these will not sound an audible alert unless you are actively listening to a weather radio.
Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week is meant to encourage people to take time before severe weather season begins to create or review their plans and emergency kits.

For more tips on severe weather preparedness and advice on creating your own emergency plan, visit https://readywisconsin.wi.gov. You can also follow ReadyWisconsin on Facebook (https://facebook.com/ReadyWisconsin) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ReadyWisconsin) for tips on emergency preparedness throughout the year.