As part of Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week April 8-12, a state-wide mock Tornado Warning will be issued at 1:45 PM and at 6:45 PM on Thursday, April 11th. The evening mock warning is intended to give families an opportunity to test emergency severe weather plans. Many radio and TV stations will test the tornado warnings. Outdoor warning sirens will be activated with the warnings.
Racine County Emergency Management recommends that every household and business take the following steps to prepare for tornadoes and severe weather:
1. Get a NOAA Weather Radio. Weather radios broadcast official National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When watches and warnings are issued, an alarm goes off.
2. Sign up for email and cell phone text weather alerts. The Weather Channel is just one of many who offer this free service.
3. Have a plan. Designate shelter areas in the home and workplace. The safest place is generally the basement. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
4. Practice tornado drills at home and work.