By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Per the National Weather Service (NWS), Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office, “A line of thunderstorms moved eastward across southeast Wisconsin during the late morning and early afternoon hours on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. This line of storms possibly produced several short-lived tornadoes, as well as some wind damage. The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan office will be conducting storm surveys of several locations across southeast Wisconsin on Thursday, October 13. Stay tuned for later updates as the storm surveys are completed.”
NWS issued a tornado warning for Jefferson and Waukesha Counties on Wednesday at approximately 11:30 a.m. Shortly thereafter the warning was extended to Walworth County. Students in Whitewater public schools were quickly moved to tornado shelter areas, which in many cases are restrooms.
At 11:36 a.m. NWS received a report from Whitewater’s Emergency Management Office of several trees and powerlines down in the city.
At 11:45 a.m. NWS passed on a report from a member of the public who indicated they observed “rotation/condensation funnel in contact with the ground just south of Highway 12 and Highway 59.” NWS defines a condensation funnel as “A funnel-shaped cloud associated with rotation and consisting of condensed water droplets (as opposed to smoke, dust, debris, etc.)” No other reports were received regarding such a sighting in this area.
The tornado warning expired at 12:15 p.m. There have apparently been no reports of significant damage in the city.
The tornado sirens were not activated. Police Chief Dan Meyer offered the apology below via social media. Although the sirens are sometimes heard inside buildings, depending upon various factors, it should be noted that they are not designed for this purpose. Those who have a cell phone should receive a warning in that manner; it is recommended that those without a cell phone obtain a weather radio, or at least monitor on a television or radio when there is threatening weather. The primary purpose of the sirens is to warn persons who are outside to seek cover immediately.
“Good evening Whitewater,
I am aware there are a number of questions being asked regarding why the tornado sirens were not activated during today’s storm. I want to make sure it’s clear that our department is responsible for activating the sirens manually. We are in the process of reviewing this, but simply put, the sirens should have been activated today. We will be addressing the issue by ensuring our policy is updated to more clearly indicate when the sirens need to be activated to reduce any ambiguity.
I want everyone to know that the safety of everyone in our community is our number one priority, and we will do everything we can to ensure this doesn’t happen again. I apologize for any confusion or fear that this may have caused.
Sincerely,
Chief Dan Meyer”
