Before
Choose shelter locations, register for local alerts, charge devices, secure outdoor items, and build kits for home, travel, and evacuation.
SEVEREWEATHER
Use this guide to prepare for severe storms, power outages, and evacuation, and to build an emergency kit.
PREPARE FOR SEVERE WEATHER
Your severe-weather action plan
Decide in advance who may need help and how your household will respond if conditions worsen or evacuation becomes necessary.
During
Act on warnings immediately, move to the safest available location, keep monitoring official information, and call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
After
Watch for downed lines, gas leaks, unstable structures, floodwater, debris, and carbon monoxide. Enter damaged buildings only after authorities say it is safe.
CodeRED Emergency Alerts
Use Sauk County’s official emergency-alert page to register for CodeRED notifications and review current sign-up guidance.
CODERED ALERT INFORMATION →Severe-Storm Toolkit
Use the Wisconsin preparedness guide to plan shelter locations, warning methods, and what your household will do before a storm.
OPEN THE WISCONSIN TOOLKIT →ReadyWisconsin
Review statewide guidance for tornadoes, flooding, extreme heat, winter storms, power outages, and recovery.
EXPLORE WEATHER GUIDANCE →Pediatric Disaster Preparedness
Find provider and family resources for preparing children, including children with special health care needs, for emergencies and disasters.
EXPLORE PEDIATRIC PREPAREDNESS →Know the hazards
Wisconsin weather can change quickly and one event can create several hazards at once. Use the action that matches the immediate danger.
Severe thunderstorms & lightning
Move inside a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle. Stay away from windows, plumbing, corded electrical equipment, open water, tall isolated trees, and exposed high ground.
Tornadoes & damaging wind
When a warning is issued, go immediately to a basement or a small interior room on the lowest level. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outdoors, and protect your head and neck.
Flooding
Move to higher ground and never drive around a barricade or through floodwater. After flooding, avoid contaminated water, damaged utilities, unstable structures, and electrical equipment that may have been wet.
Winter storms & extreme cold
Limit travel, dress in warm layers, keep vehicles supplied, and plan for heat and power loss. Check on older adults, neighbors living alone, and anyone who relies on powered medical equipment.
Extreme heat
Use air conditioning or a cooling location, drink water regularly, reduce strenuous activity, and watch for confusion, fainting, or other signs of heat illness. Never leave a person or animal in a parked vehicle.
Power outages
Use flashlights instead of candles when possible. Keep generators, grills, and other fuel-burning equipment outdoors and away from windows, doors, and vents because carbon monoxide can build up quickly.
Build your 72-hour kit
Plan for at least 72 hours without normal access to electricity, water, roads, stores, or communications. Build the core home kit first, then add smaller go, vehicle, and pet kits for the ways your household may need to respond.
72-hour home kit
Store three days of water and nonperishable food for each person, plus medicines, first aid, flashlights, batteries, a radio, chargers, hygiene supplies, cash, and copies of important information.
To-go kit
A smaller bag that can leave with you quickly: medicines, identification, contacts, chargers, clothing, water, snacks, and essential documents.
Vehicle emergency kit
Seasonal clothing and blankets, water, food, light, phone power, first aid, warning equipment, and basic vehicle supplies for delays or breakdowns.
Pet emergency kit
Food, water, medicines, vaccination and identification records, leash or carrier, sanitation supplies, and a current photo of each animal.
Official alerts and shelter information
Confirm shelter activation through official local information and follow travel directions before leaving a safer location.When activated by local officials, community shelter options may include:
Baraboo Area Fire & EMS District
135 4th Street
Baraboo, WI 53913
Baraboo Civic Center
Room 17
124 2nd Street
Baraboo, WI 53913
Keep more than one way to receive warnings, including local alerts, a NOAA Weather Radio, and a trusted weather source. Outdoor sirens are designed primarily to warn people who are outdoors and may not be heard inside every building.
SAUK COUNTY WARMING & COOLING LOCATIONS →