It’s peak season (May-August) for occasional tornadoes. Be prepared!
Know the difference between a watch and a warning:
A Tornado Watch or Severe Weather Watch means a tornado may develop. Be alert and be prepared to take action if the watch becomes a WARNING. (It is not necessary to seek shelter for a severe weather watch.)
A Tornado Warning means a tornado has been spotted in the area. Immediate action may mean the difference between life and death. (It is not necessary to seek shelter for a thunderstorm warning.)
What does Andersen Library do when there is severe weather?
Our weather radio alerts us when severe weather threatens Walworth, Jefferson, and Rock counties. If there is a tornado warning, and it is heading towards Whitewater, we make an announcement over the public address system directing people to go to the nearest tornado shelter area within the Library (marked with large blue signs, generally restrooms and windowless stairwells & hallways). The elevator should not be used.
Be prepared for severe weather wherever you are! You can search the Library Catalog for tornadoes for additional materials. A basic explanation of what you need to know about tornadoes and tornado safety is available from the NOAA Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, which also has a current watch display. The Milwaukee/Sullivan site also lists current watches and warnings (tornadoes, flash floods, severe thunderstorms, and marine warnings) for Wisconsin. The American Red Cross has an online preparedness checklist. I also recommend that you get a map of the counties around you, so that you know when watches and warnings, or the tracks of severe weather, affect you. There are printable maps for all 50 states at the nationalatlas.gov web site.
Andersen Library is a federal and Wisconsin depository library with federal and state government documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in various formats (print, DVD/CD-ROM, online). Check out your government at Andersen Library!
