2008 Woodie Awards
Campus participates in severe weather week
Mark Behnke
Issue date: 5/7/08 Section: Lifestyle
Severe weather can affect any community no matter where it may be. With storms hitting Kenosha county in January, awareness and preparation for storms is paramount. To combat severe weather state and University officials are taking steps to ensure that Wisconsin and UW-Whitewater are ready for storms when they happen.
Governor Jim Doyle proclaimed April 21-25 as Tornado and severe weather awareness week to encourage Wisconsin residents to learn more about the effects severe weather can bring. Wisconsin Emergency Management and the National Weather Service promoted the week with a statewide tornado drill that occurred on Apirl 24.
UW-Whitewater Police Chief Matthew Kiederlen helped oversee the event as it was held on campus.
"We had all of our building supervisors participate in the event," Kiederlen said. "We had each one of them go through evaluation procedures about the movement of people through their buildings."
Kiederlen said the event was successful on the university level as participation was high, and everyone who participated was cooperative.
"I was appreciative of all who helped in the event," Kiederlen said. "The fact that so many people were willing to participate makes me feel good about the future. Everyone was cooperative in making the drill a success."
For sophomore Ben Wilson dealing with tornadoes has become a reality. Wilson was at his home near Lake Geneva when a January 8 twister occurred.
"I was less than a mile away," Wilson said. "I was able to see down and watched it go in front of me as it went past. I watched it come all the way through for a good 10 miles."
Shortly after the storm had passed Wilson's first reaction was to take care of his grandmother who lived nearby.
"I immediately went to my grandma's house," Wilson said. "She was hysterical because trees had fallen down and about two to three hundred yards near her house were torn up by the tornado."
After experiencing the tornado, Wilson has found new meaning with the tornado warning system. He now does not underestimate the importance of community warnings.
Governor Jim Doyle proclaimed April 21-25 as Tornado and severe weather awareness week to encourage Wisconsin residents to learn more about the effects severe weather can bring. Wisconsin Emergency Management and the National Weather Service promoted the week with a statewide tornado drill that occurred on Apirl 24.
UW-Whitewater Police Chief Matthew Kiederlen helped oversee the event as it was held on campus.
"We had all of our building supervisors participate in the event," Kiederlen said. "We had each one of them go through evaluation procedures about the movement of people through their buildings."
Kiederlen said the event was successful on the university level as participation was high, and everyone who participated was cooperative.
"I was appreciative of all who helped in the event," Kiederlen said. "The fact that so many people were willing to participate makes me feel good about the future. Everyone was cooperative in making the drill a success."
For sophomore Ben Wilson dealing with tornadoes has become a reality. Wilson was at his home near Lake Geneva when a January 8 twister occurred.
"I was less than a mile away," Wilson said. "I was able to see down and watched it go in front of me as it went past. I watched it come all the way through for a good 10 miles."
Shortly after the storm had passed Wilson's first reaction was to take care of his grandmother who lived nearby.
"I immediately went to my grandma's house," Wilson said. "She was hysterical because trees had fallen down and about two to three hundred yards near her house were torn up by the tornado."
After experiencing the tornado, Wilson has found new meaning with the tornado warning system. He now does not underestimate the importance of community warnings.
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