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Be prepared for severe weather, officials tell residents

A week intended to raise Madison residents’ understanding of severe weather and teach safety strategies in the case of dangerous conditions kicks off today.

The Madison Fire Department and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk are encouraging local residents to take advantage of Severe Weather Awareness Week to learn how to protect themselves in dangerous weather.

“Spring is a time of year when it’s really up for grabs,” MFD Public Information Officer Lori Wirth said.

Tornadoes, flooding, thunder and lightning, and all the associated types of weather that come with it, are of an increased threat during late April and early May, she said.

The awareness week is important to citizens for that exact reason. University of Wisconsin professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences Jon Martin said such weather kills thousands of people per year in the United States. He added damages from severe weather exceed a billion dollars yearly.

“It’s very important people be reminded annually to be careful of some of these types of weather systems,” Martin said.

April is well known for its notorious variability and strong conditions. Martin said this is because spring is a time of transition when all the ingredients for severe convective weather are present.

“At this time of year, late April into early May, those kinds of significant weather systems, very strong storms, are met with the right kind of conditions in terms of moisture in the air and warm air temperature from southern latitudes to really turn storms that result into the most dangerous ones on earth,” Martin said.

Wirth and Martin offered several strategies for maintaining safety when faced with these kinds of hazards.

Martin added a caveat concerning tall buildings, saying it is usually best to leave a high-rise structure in the case of a tornado event. He added that windows should be avoided during storms of any kind.

For students living in dormitories, Wirth said the best way to stay safe is through preparation.

“We want them to pay attention to drills dorms regularly have for tornadoes and fires,” she said.

Wirth recommended weather radios as a good measure for staying alert. She said they are particularly useful because they are programmable to specific areas. According to Falk, radios have been distributed to Dane County and are available for purchase.

Martin commented on the presence of visual and audible clues as being good indicators of approaching weather.

“I think the big thing, the bigger threat than tornadoes, is lightning,” he added. “You’ve just got to stay out of the way of lightning.”

In the case of lightning, clear skies may not be a sure sign of safety. The National Weather Service reports that although most lightning occurs within 10 miles of the storm, some rare cases have been known to strike nearly 50 miles away.

In the case of being caught out in the open, Martin suggested staying in an automobile with the windows up while avoiding metal parts.

Wirth said the MFD is particularly concerned with injury prevention. That means awareness of secondary dangers as well, including downed power lines, she said.

In the case of a power outage, Wirth said flashlights are far safer than candles. She also reminded people to turn off their electric stoves while the current is off.