In Wisconsin we observe Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week April 13th through 17th. Each year Wisconsin faces risk of tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flooding, and damaging winds. These events can develop quickly, leaving little time to react. Public Health Emergency Preparedness plays a key role in preparedness: ensuring individuals, families, and communities know how to stay safe, protect essential needs, and recover quickly when severe weather hits.

During this week, residents are encouraged to:

• Make sure you have a plan to receive alerts. Sign up for Winnebago County ALERTS here.
• App it up! Download a preparedness App (PDF) to be ready for anything.
• Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio or test yours to make sure it's working.
• Review your emergency plans
• Practice sheltering procedures
• Review your emergency supplies, restock if necessary.
• Be prepared for a special needs your family may have. Ready.gov has a great preparedness page for people with disabilities.

Where would you go if a tornado was headed your way?

Ideal tornado shelters include basements or interior rooms on the lowest floor, away from windows. Families should practice going to these locations so everyone knows what to do. It’s also essential to keep emergency kits stocked with water, non‑perishable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, important documents and any essential items for your family's particular needs.

By taking time this week to prepare, you are helping build a safer, more resilient community for all. Learn more from Ready Wisconsin.

Stronger Teens, Healthier Communities

Do you have an adolescent in your life? Vaccination is important to safeguard adolescents from vaccine-preventable illness including:

• Meningitis
• Whooping cough
• HPV-related cancers
• COVID-19
• Flu

In Wisconsin, students are required to receive the Meningococcal vaccine for school attendance, with the first dose administered in 7th grade. Families will soon be hearing from their districts about registration for the 2026-2027 school year, and now is a great time to make sure students are up to date on their required vaccinations! For those with students heading off to college it's a great time to talk to your healthcare providers about the Meningococcal B Vaccine and other recommended vaccines for college-aged students.

When teens stay up‑to‑date on their vaccines, they’re not just protecting themselves, they’re strengthening the health of our entire community.

2026 AAP Immunization Schedule

WI DHS Immunizations

This event, held March 4 at the UWO Culver Family Welcome Center, brought together a powerful cross-section of our community to break silence, reduce stigma, and support people in recovery.

A total of 530 people attended, with 189 participants earning 3.5 continuing education credits, strengthening the connection between lived experience and professional practice. The event featured 32 speakers who shared their stories on stage, alongside many more in the audience who stepped forward with courage and vulnerability.

This event was a true reflection of what can happen when a community shows up for one another with compassion. It would not have been possible without the generosity of local sponsors to ensure the event remained free and accessible. We had 56 dedicated volunteers assisting with planning the event, 22 agencies and organizations were present to connect attendees with critical resources and support, including strong representation from Winnebago County Departments. Attendees came from 15 counties throughout the state. All of these people are united by a shared purpose to break the silence, reduce stigma, and save lives.

The impact extended far beyond the day itself. We collected 344 handwritten messages of hope, now being shared across local and national systems, including correctional facilities, recovery groups, and overdose fatality review teams. If you missed the event, you can view these messages of hope here. In addition, a large donation of hygiene items were collected at the event in support of the Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive, and leftover food was shared through a community fridge.

Click here to learn how to access the Public Health Vending Machines.

The annual Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive is led by The Family Radio Network

Help For The Homeless Hygiene Drive

Access to basic hygiene supplies is one of the most fundamental, and often overlooked, determinants of public health. Items like soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent, diapers, and menstrual products may seem small, but they play a major role in preventing illness, supporting dignity, and helping people maintain stability during difficult times. When these necessities are out of reach, the risk of infections, chronic disease complications, missed school or work, and mental health strain increases.

For the past two years our department has partnered with local community organizations to coordinate the Help for the Homeless hygiene drive, an effort that directly supports individuals and families who are struggling to meet essential daily needs. In 2025 Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive helped stock the shelves of 137 crisis programs in 22 Wisconsin communities. Over 1,000 businesses, churches, and schools collected over $720,000 worth of supplies.

The items collected in Oshkosh are stored at the United Way Oshkosh location and distributed to local shelters, food pantries, schools, and community partner organizations. They rely on these donated supplies to stretch limited budgets and ensure people can focus on housing, employment, and long‑term well‑being rather than worrying about basic care.

Through our Community Health Improvement Plan work we created a Basic Needs Task Force that includes the Oshkosh Area School District, Winnebago County Departments, Oshkosh Area Community Pantry, Oshkosh Area United Way, Parent-Teacher Organizations, and Faith-based partners working on hygiene access and policies. The goal of this task force was to increase the involvement of local schools, and we are pleased to report that participation has increased from one local school to 10 schools/school based organizations.