Wisconsin Statewide Tornado Drills will occur this Thursday, during Severe Weather Awareness Week

Storms can develop quickly in Wisconsin and knowing what to do when a severe weather warning is issued can help keep you and others safe. To help encourage everyone to be prepared for tornadoes, thunderstorms and flooding, Gov. Evers has declared this week (April 13-17) as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin averages 23 tornadoes annually. In 2025, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed 39 tornadoes in the state. That includes 15 tornadoes that touched down in a single day, when storms moved across southern Wisconsin on May 15 of last year.

The annual Wisconsin Statewide Tornado Drills will occur Thursday afternoon and evening (April 16) at 1:45 and 6:45. Schools, businesses, and families are encouraged to practice going to their nearest tornado shelter or safe location during these drills. If you live in a house, the safest areas could be a basement, a ground floor interior room of a building that is not near windows, or a specially constructed safe room designed to withstand high winds and falling debris. If you live in an apartment, the safest location to be is the lowest level, with as many walls between you and the outside as possible. Stay away from windows. Mobile homes are not a safe shelter location during a tornado. Identify a safer structure to go to whether that is a community shelter location, nearby public buildings or family and friends who live in sturdy structures. Know your evacuation route from your home and how long it will take to get to a safer location.

During the drill times, Wisconsin’s National Weather Service offices will conduct NOAA Weather Radio tests. Some communities may also choose to test their outdoor warning sirens during drill times. WRCO will be airing the tornado drill on Thursday. If there is a threat of severe weather, the statewide drills will be postponed until Friday (April 17).

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