The thunderstorms and rain showers that University of Wisconsin students trudged through Tuesday, amid the expected weather for the rest of the week, set a fitting background for Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week that will start next week.

With a declaration from Gov. Scott Walker, the week of April 15-19 will increase needed awareness for Wisconsin residents, according to University Police Department Emergency Management Supervisor Bill Curtis.

Curtis said a statewide tornado drill planned for next Thursday is important because it provides Wisconsin citizens with a reminder about where to go and other procedures involved with a tornado.

“Just like a fire drill that we do in school, it is important to test and increase awareness when it comes to tornadoes, because they do happen in Wisconsin,” Curtis said. “It’s always good to have a reminder that severe weather can happen.”

As a part of next Thursday’s drill, a statewide mock tornado watch by the National Weather Service will be released at 1 p.m., according to a UW statement. A statewide mock tornado warning will then follow at 1:45 p.m., the statement said.

Preparation is key in any setting, according to University of Wisconsin Police Department spokesperson Marc Lovicott. He said for university, business and home settings alike, people should be prepared for emergencies.

A tornado drill, Curtis added, allows a building’s occupants to practice the recommended steps to protect themselves.

The week is timely, according to Curtis, because it falls just before the late-spring and summer months when the majority of tornado and severe weather activity occurs in Wisconsin. However, he added, tornadoes can and have happened every month in the state.

It is important that this drill takes place in early April, Curtis added, in order to get people thinking about what to do right before the severe weather season begins.

Everyone should have a method of being notified of severe weather, Curtis said. Anything from a weather radio to a cell phone app will suffice, he added.

Next Thursday’s drill will provide much-needed emergency preparation, Lovicott said.

“We need to be prepared for emergencies,” Lovicott said. “What better way than to have a drill to practice and be ready for [them].”

On the importance of the awareness week, Lovicott said having family, business and campus plans is important so individuals are ready to handle severe weather if it occurs.

Participation in next Thursday’s drill is not mandatory and any instance of severe weather in Wisconsin will postpone the drill until the next day, the statement said.

Wisconsin, which experiences an average of 21 tornadoes each year, saw a record of 62 tornadoes in 2005, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Dictionary of Wisconsin History.

A record-setting 27 tornadoes occurred Aug. 18, 2005, and this number is just three higher than the previous record documented in Wisconsin during one day in 1988, according to WHS. During that day, the biggest tornado to form was established just five miles south of Madison near Fitchburg, according to WHS.