OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Local communities will not be issuing alerts or sounding sirens during Thursday’s planned statewide tornado drill, but they are encouraging everyone to be prepared and go over their plans.
“The more prepared they are, the better off they’re going to be,” says Outagamie County Emergency Management Specialist Robert Olson.
There will be no test alerts issued via the Emergency Alert System or NOAA All-Hazards radios.
While the statewide tornado drill is going virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that doesn’t mean people should put off planning for potential severe weather. says to pick a time and go through the plan – or make one.
“Take 20 minutes and view the plan. If they don’t have a plan, they should write a plan. They’ve got the time – they’re home as a family. Just decide what they want to do,” Olson says, “Pick a time and say ‘Alright the tornado sirens went off, there’s a tornado in our area. What do we do? And let’s execute our plan.’”
Olson also says plans should address safety and handling possible damage, but says people also need to be ready for a potential long-term power outage during storm season.
“Our utility companies are first-rate, but what if you’re in an area where they can’t get you service right away? How do you do that?”
He recommends using energy sparingly during those times, and keeping any refrigerators or freezers closed to maintain the integrity of their contents as long as possible.
Meanwhile, if a storm were to hit any communities in Outagamie County, Olson says they’re prepared. Even if they’re still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Split things up operationally, so we’d keep the COVID response supported and we’re going to have to break another branch into the disaster response,” Olson tells WTAQ News, “If we needed to, we’d contact another county if possible and bring in potentially previous employees who have retired out of our office to come in and help us manage that piece and support the public.”
For more information about the statewide tornado drill, head to the National Weather Service website.
