Severe weather threat, Red Cross ready to help
MILWAUKEE - Wednesday night, July 28 into early Thursday morning, July 29, almost the entire state of Wisconsin will likely be impacted by severe weather, with southeast Wisconsin in the crosshairs.
You will want to keep an eye on your weather app, listen for sirens and talk to your family to make sure you all have a plan for where to go if severe weather hits.
The Red Cross is just one agency preparing.
"Whether it is tornados or derecho thunderstorms, information and preparedness are really the two best things you can do," said Justin Kern, Red Cross. "You want to practice with your family, even if it’s this afternoon. Talk with them about where that safe place is in your home."
It is best to head to a basement.
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"If you are in a modular home, a mobile home, that you have a backup plan to get out of there and go somewhere safe," said Kern. "If you’re in a high-rise building, you want to kind of find that center hallway, somewhere, a structure that’s safe, away from the windows."
If you’re in a car, do not park under an overpass. Keep going.
"If you’re camping somewhere, if you’re in a car, if you’re in a mobile home, you’re not in a safe place, so if you see those sort of greenish clouds, if those alerts and warnings are going off, it’s the kind of thing that you’ll want to get in a vehicle and go the other way," said Kern. "Get out of there as quickly as possible."
Kern said they planned to keep a close eye on a large group in Oshkosh for the EAA AirVenture event.
"We’re prepared for these kinds of extreme weather events and we’ve been watching, knowing that there’s this awesome event in our state happening right now, so hopefully, we don’t see the worst of the weather," said Kern. "It is the kind of thing that our agency and others are working to make sure people are prepared and safe."
EAA organizers planned to close most operations for the day at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
"Safety is always EAA’s top priority and given the best forecast information from the National Weather Service, we want to give everyone an opportunity to make decisions in advance," said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman of the board.
If you hear sirens in your neighborhood, it is time to head to shelter.
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Severe storms likely Wednesday night
It will be hot and humid Wednesday afternoon – leading to strong to severe storms likely late evening into the overnight.