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SCC Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week

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SCC Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week Tornado & Severe Weather Awareness Week April 12th through April 16th Being prepared for Wisconsin Severe Weather in St. Croix County SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS St. Croix County experienced - Events in St. Croix 277 severe weather events from - 36 Tornados 1844 – 2020. Severe weather is defined as either hail with a - 124 High wind events diameter greater than one inch, Thunderstorms with wind gusts greater than 57 mph or A tornado LIGHTNING IF SOMEONE IS STRUCK DON’T GET CAUGHT OUTSIDE Cardiac arrest is the immediate cause of death for No place outside is safe when a thunderstorm is in the area. Get those who die. Lightning victims do not carry an inside as soon as you hear thunder. Run to a substantial building or electrical charge and may need first aid immediately. hard-topped metal vehicle as fast as you can. If you can’t get to a • Call for help. Call 9-1-1. safe building or vehicle: • Avoid open areas. Don’t be the tallest object in the area. • Give first aid. Begin CPR if you are trained. • Stay away from isolated tall trees, towers or utility poles. Use an Automatic External Defibrillator if one is • Lightning tends to strike the taller objects in an area. available. These units are lifesavers! • Stay away from metal conductors such as wires or fences. Metal Don’t be a victim. If possible, move the victim to a • does not attract lightning, but lightning can travel long distances safer place. Lightning CAN strike twice. through it. • If you are with a group of people, spread out. While this actually increases the chance that someone might get struck, it tends to prevent multiple casualties, and increases the chances that someone could help if a person is struck. • Lightning can be a major safety concern during storms. Know the risks and how to protect yourself from lightning strikes. • All thunderstorms produce lightning and are dangerous. In an average year, lightning kills nearly 50 people in the U.S. Since 2005, lightning has killed nine people and injured at least 41 in Wisconsin. • Lightning often strikes outside the area of heavy rain and may strike as far as 10 miles from any rainfall. • If you hear thunder, you are in danger! Anytime thunder is heard, the storm is close enough to pose an immediate threat to your location. • Have a lightning safety plan. Designate a safe location before the event starts. Have specific guidelines for suspending the activity so that everyone has time to reach safety. • Prior to a practice or outdoor event, check the latest forecast. If thunderstorms are expected, consider postponing activities early to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation. • If you hear thunder, suspend your activity immediately and instruct everyone to get to a safe place. Substantial buildings provide the best protection. Avoid sheds, open shelters, dugouts, bleachers, and grandstands. If a sturdy building is not nearby, a hard-topped metal vehicle with windows closed will offer good protection. Do not crouch or lie down—continue moving to a place of shelter. • If boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter. • Do not resume activities until 30 minutes have passed since the last thunder was heard. Severe thunderstorms are officially defined as storms that are capable of producing hail that is an inch or larger or wind gusts over 58 mph. Hail this size can damage property such as plants, roofs and vehicles. Wind this strong is able to break off large branches, knock over trees or cause structural damage to trees. Some severe thunderstorms can produce hail larger than softballs or winds over 100 mph, so please pay attention to the weather so you know when severe storms are possible. Thunderstorms also produce tornadoes and dangerous lightning; heavy rain can cause flash flooding. TORNADOES A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. Tornadoes are capable of completely, destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. Tornadoes can occur at any time of day or night and at any time of the year. Although tornadoes are most common in the Central Plains and the southeastern United States, they have been reported in all 50 states. TORNADO SAFETY BEFORE THE STORM Develop a plan for you and your family for home, work, school and outdoors. Know the safest shelter areas in multiple locations. • Regularly review and practice that plan. • Keep a disaster supply kit in your home including water, food that won’t spoil and needs no heat to serve, first-aid kit, NOAA Weather Radio (also known as an emergency weather radio), a flashlight and special items for children, pets and elderly family members. • Be sure your weather radio is working properly. Spring is a great time to install fresh batteries. TORNADO SAFETY DURING THE STORM Whether at home, work, or school, it’s important to have a plan in place for what to do when severe weather is approaching. • In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement, and get under a sturdy table or the stairs. A specially-constructed “safe room” within a building offers the best protection. • If a basement is not available, move to a small interior room on the lowest floor and cover yourself with anything close at hand: towels, blankets, pillows. If possible, get under a sturdy table, desk, or counter. Put as many walls as possible between you and the storm. Stay away from windows. • If caught outdoors, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to shelter, get into a vehicle, buckle your seatbelt and drive to the closest sturdy shelter. If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have two options as a last resort: • Stay in the vehicle with the seatbelt on and place your head below the windows. • If you can safely get noticeably lower than the roadway, exit the vehicle and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands. Do not seek shelter under an overpass. • Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. You should leave a mobile home and go to the designated storm shelter or the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building. • Make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather information. A NOAA Weather Radio, access to local TV, and smart phone apps can keep you informed when severe weather threatens. SEVERE WEATHER SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES & WARNINGS • When conditions are favorable for severe weather to develop, the National Weather Service (NWS) will issue a WATCH. When a Watch is issued, make sure you have a source of weather information in the event storms begin to form. • When severe weather has formed, NWS meteorologists will issue a WARNING to immediately alert the public and to advise them to seek appropriate shelter. A warning indicates there is an imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm. • Watches and Warnings are relayed to local radio and television stations and are broadcast on NOAA Weather Radios. Public safety officials also receive warnings and can activate local warning systems, like outdoor sirens, to alert communities. You may also receive warning information on mobile devices. WATCHES AND WARNINGS Tornado Watch: Severe thunderstorms with tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms. Be prepared to move to safety if a warning is issued. Know what counties are in the watch area by listening to NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards or local radio/television stations. Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds are possible. Be prepared to move to safety if a warning is issued. Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Move to a place of safety now. Severe Thunderstorm Warning: A thunderstorm with large hail or damaging winds has been reported or indicated by weather radar. WHAT DOES THAT SIREN MEAN? Sirens are meant to alert people who are outside to get inside and get informed While outdoor warning sirens can be utilized for various types of notification, most citizens correlate their activation to Severe Weather. Regardless of their intent, outdoor warning sirens target those people who are outside by alerting them to GET IN and TUNE IN for more information. If you hear the siren, get inside and tune into radio, TV or the internet for more information on why the siren is sounding so you can educate and empower yourself on how to respond. In order to break the County up into quadrants, County Trunk E and County Trunk T will be the designated boundaries. Quadrant 1 includes the sirens in Hudson, North Hudson, Roberts, Hammond and River Falls area. Quadrant 2 includes sirens in Somerset (Village and Township), Star Prairie (Village and Township), New Richmond and Deer Park. Quadrant 3 includes sirens in Deer Park and Glenwood City. Quadrant 4 includes sirens in Woodville, Baldwin and Hammond. While the sirens located in Hammond and Deer Park will be assigned to multiple quadrants (because of their proximity to the quadrant boundaries) their sirens will only be activated once for each event (or tier upgrade). There are currently 35-outdoor warning sirens within St. Croix County. While each siren is activated by the St. Croix County 9-1-1 Center, they are owned and maintained by their respective City, Village or Township. Because the target audience for warning sirens are those citizens who are outside, they should never be relied upon as a sole source for warnings.
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