March 27, 2026
VERNON COUNTY, Wis. – Vernon County emergency officials are reminding residents about the purpose of outdoor warning sirens and announcing new activation criteria as the spring severe weather season approaches.
Vernon County Emergency Management Director Brandon Larson announced in March that local sirens will now be activated for extremely dangerous thunderstorms in addition to tornadoes.
“Vernon County Emergency Management announces that the outdoor warning sirens will now be activated when the National Weather Service issues a severe thunderstorm warning with a destructive tag,” said Larson. “This change reflects updates to the National Weather Service warning criteria and will help keep the public safe.”
According to the National Weather Service a destructive damage threat means a storm is producing at least 2.75 inch diameter baseball sized hail or 80 mph thunderstorm winds. This new threshold adds to the existing protocols which trigger sirens for tornado warnings confirmed tornado sightings straight line winds hazardous materials incidents and flash flooding.
Larson stressed a crucial limitation of the system that residents often misunderstand noting that outdoor warning sirens are designed primarily to alert people who are outside.
“It is important to understand that siren effectiveness varies depending on factors such as wind direction wind speed siren placement and whether a person is indoors or outdoors,” said Larson. “If you hear a siren head to your shelter and check local news social media Everbridge Mass Notification alerts or your NOAA Weather Radio.”
To ensure the equipment is functioning properly the county will conduct monthly tests from April through September. Tests are conducted on the first Monday of each month at 11 a.m.. The first scheduled test will take place on Monday April 6. The only exception is September when testing will occur on Tuesday September 8. If inclement weather is present testing will be postponed until the next suitable day.
Residents will also hear the sirens sound twice on Thursday April 16 as part of Wisconsin Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week which runs April 13 through April 17. Statewide tornado drills are scheduled for 145 p.m. and 645 p.m. providing an excellent opportunity for individuals schools businesses and families to practice moving to designated storm shelters. If severe weather is expected on April 16 the drills will be rescheduled for Friday April 17.
Because sirens are not intended to penetrate heavily insulated homes emergency officials strongly encourage residents to have multiple ways to receive alerts such as Everbridge mass notifications and NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio. The county uses the Everbridge platform to send direct alerts and recently updated the system caller identification. If residents receive a phone call from 608-637-5399 it is a legitimate alert regarding weather road closures or critical incidents.
“Residents are strongly encouraged to stay informed,” said Larson. “Ensure that you have a reliable means of receiving weather alerts to stay up to date and follow additional safety precautions including moving to an interior room on the lowest level of your home and avoiding windows.”
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