Wisconsin severe weather preparedness; experts say have a plan

BROWN DEER, Wis. - Tornadoes can happen anytime, any place. So when severe weather hits, it is all about having a plan.

Snow, ice, hail, wind – all have hit southeast Wisconsin in the last few weeks. 

"The trees here in Milwaukee have been beaten pretty bad," said Frank O’Neal of M&M Tree Care.

A 65-foot-tall tree in Brown Deer is one of them.

"The thunder the other night, I woke up, and I thought that the tree actually might have been falling on the house. I was so scared," said Brooks Vorlob-Keeley. 

Brooks Vorlob-Keeley

That is where companies like M&M Tree Care come in.

"We have been chasing around all over the Greater Milwaukee area," O'Neil said.

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The FOX6 Weather Experts have also been busy. Over the weekend, 12 tornadoes touched down in southern Wisconsin – five in southeast Wisconsin. 

"In your home if you have a basement, that is the best place to be," said FOX6 Meteorologist Stephanie Barichello. 

But let's say you are not home. 

"So, we know it's absolutely possible to be driving in your car when there is a tornado on the ground, if you can get to safety to a sturdy building," Barichello said.

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The FOX6 Weather Experts urge creating a plan before the severe weather hits. 

"It just goes to show tornadoes are possible at any time of the year," Barichello said. 

That is why Vorlob-Keeley knew it was time to say goodbye.

"I'm sad to see the tree go, but it’s safer for my family," Vorlob-Keeley said.