Tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, and heat waves are just a few of the summer weather hazards that impact Eau Claire County. That is why the week of April 8-12 is designated as severe weather awareness week across the county and all of Wisconsin!
“We used to look at March and April as the transition from winter hazards to summer events, with wildfires and flooding as the traditional weather threats right now,” states Tyler Esh, Eau Claire County’s Emergency Manager. “Unfortunately, as seen this year, the severe weather trends are changing and now Wisconsin has recorded tornadoes in every month of the year.”
Wisconsin and Minnesota jointly coordinate severe weather awareness week, with the same topics being used by both states each day. For 2024, the topics are set as Monday: Alerts & Warning, Tuesday: Severe Weather Lightning, and Hail, Wednesday: Floods, Thursday: Tornadoes, and Friday: Heat. Eau Claire County Emergency Management will pass along information each day through social media, and we encourage everyone to participate in the tornado drills scheduled for 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. The Eau Claire Communications Center will set off sirens for the tornado drills, so if you do not hear them during the drill, that is a good reminder that they are not designed to be heard or alert you if you are not outside near a siren.
