When the sirens sounded Wednesday night in Waukesha, most who
heard them assumed a tornado warning had been issued. Residents
of Muskego and Kenosha heard similar sirens and also assumed
that a tornado was threatening. It turns out the sirens were
sounded in those communities (and others) because of the
potential for destructive, non-tornado winds. But wait, you say,
they are "tornado sirens." Aren't they supposed to be used for
tornadoes only? I'm told that many local communities reserve the
right to sound their sirens for any situation that may be
considered a serious threat to public safety. In the case of
Wednesday night, the National Weather Service was warning about
the potential for winds over 100 miles per hour. Winds of that
strength are strong enough to do major to damage to homes, power
lines, trees, etc. In my estimation, 100 mph winds do qualify as
a serious threat to public safety. But wait, you say, if the
winds are going to be over 100 mph, there has to be a tornado,
right? When certain atmosp