Tornado Season Madison

[Megan1967]

I do see that merit of not blowing off Tornado Warnings. But tornado watches are another matter, which people new to the area (or country) might not be familiar with. Watches just mean the weather conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form, not that one has been sighted. Do sirens go off for watches as well as warnings? I can't remember.

Part of my lack of action is because I have 4 cats and 2 dogs. It is easy to take the dogs to shelter, but harder with the cats and after spending my first 5 years in my house herding everyone to the basement storage room every time a siren went off, now I just watch the sky and if it looks serious, I take cover.

I suppose going to the National Weather Service website would be a good option too.

[ranger17]

i think we usually monitored the weather and sky before heading downstairs, though i'd have to admit at our Defo home it was finished so it wasnt the worst place to hang out for awhile. I do remember watching out a window and seeing a funnel cloud once (across town, only touched down in a field near the HS), my first thought was "dang it where's the camcorder" then i realized "well maybe i should be downstairs now" lol. And i'd still see neighbors out in their drive, beverage in hand, pointing to the sky.

Being in SC we do get hurricane preparedness specials and programs, but frankly we live 2 hours from the coast. If a hurricane is strong enough to come this far, there's a lot to worry about. Sounded like Hugo in 89 hit SC hard, and the path of the storm itself tracked thru the eastern states due north. But most inland damage was supposedly from tornados spawned by the storm and not the 'hurricane'.
And as i type this, i realize my statement that we live 2 hours from the coast could lend a false sense of security...... never to old to learn something.

[alfoa]

Do sirens go off for watches as well as warnings?

Should just be for warnings, unless things have changed. Gosh, if the sirens went off for watches too, you'd spend half the summer in the basement

[Bo]

I remember the 06/17/1992 F3 tornado in Mcfarland, because I volunteered at the Red Cross that day and was at the scene. Lots of damaged homes and 30 injuries in that one. It was probably Dane County's worst tornado during the 10 years I lived in Madison.