Dane County Emergency Management

08/31/2026

Another school year is getting started, and it's a good reminder to brush up on how to be safe around school buses. Pay attention to the lights! If you see red flashing lights or the stop arm, that means traffic in both directions should be stopped!

🎉 SCHOOL IS BACK! 🎉 Let's keep our kids safe!

As the new school year begins, remember that school bus safety is everyone's responsibility. 🚌

🚨 When a school bus stops with its red lights flashing, STOP! This means children are getting on or off the bus.

Slow down near school buses, watch carefully for children crossing the roadway, and give buses plenty of space. Also, SLOW DOWN in school zones where you see children present.

A few extra seconds of patience could protect a child's life. Let's make sure every student (and bus driver) get to school and back home safely. ❤

08/28/2026

It's been an active year for tornadoes across Wisconsin, with 48 confirmed by the National Weather Service.

Tornadoes are possible throughout the year, so have a plan for where to seek shelter wherever you may be. Have multiple ways to receive alerts, including a NOAA Weather Radio and ensuring emergency alerts are enabled on your mobile device.

08/27/2026

Dane County Emergency Management has two members of our staff gaining valuable experience during this exercise as part of the Wisconsin All Hazards Incident Management Team. Opportunities such as this help us learn from our partners across the state and bring those lessons back to Dane County.

08/24/2026

How do natural hazards affect the lives of those living in Dane County? Dane County is updating its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which helps guide efforts to reduce the impacts of disasters.

If you live in Dane County, take this survey to help identify natural hazards at https://bit.ly/DCNHMP-2026

Public feedback helps to guide this process, as the county and participating municipalities work to complete the update in 2027.

08/21/2026

Friday afternoon and evening could bring an increased risk of strong to severe storms in southern Wisconsin, including Dane County. Stay weather aware and have multiple ways to receive severe weather alerts!

A corridor of strong to severe storm potential has formed over portions of southwestern WI, mainly west of I-39 / I-90. Main timeframe of concern is from now through 8:00 PM CDT. Frequent lightning, damaging winds, hail, and an isolated tornado are possible.

08/20/2026

Make safety part of your back-to-school checklist!

Review pedestrian and bus stop safety if your kids walk, bike, or ride the bus to school. Talk about your after-school plans and what to do if something goes wrong. Make sure your child has a copy of your emergency contact list and knows who to call if they are unable to reach you.

08/18/2026

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Dane County and surrounding areas until 10 p.m. this evening. Stay weather aware and have multiple ways to receive alerts!

Continue to monitor for scattered storms between now and 9 PM across southern Wisconsin. Earlier day sunshine has resulted in increased confidence for storm development, with a few severe storms possible. Damaging wind gusts & large hail are the main severe hazards. Stay weather aware if planning to be outdoors this evening.

08/18/2026

The last two weeks have been busy, with Dane County Emergency Management staff attending several National Night Out and Community Night Out events throughout the county. Thanks to our local partners who invited us to attend and share information about weather safety and the work we do!

08/14/2026

Dane County is updating its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. You can help identify the risks facing the region by taking this survey between now and September 14.

This plan is reviewed and updated every five years as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the impacts of natural disasters on communities. Public feedback helps to guide this process, as the county and participating municipalities work to complete the update in 2027.

Take the survey at https://bit.ly/DCNHMP-2026

08/13/2026

Dane County Emergency Management is grateful for the amazing support our office receives from the county and all of our partners!

This August, we’re recognizing National Emergency Management Awareness Month and the dedicated Dane County Emergency Management staff who help our communities prepare for severe weather, flooding, tornadoes, and other emergencies.

Thank you to our emergency management team and all of our local partners for the work you do to keep Dane County prepared and safe.