Letter: Learn About Tornado, Severe Weather Preparedness in March

While the majority of Illinois tornadoes occur between April 1 and June 30, the tornado outbreaks on Nov. 17, 2013, and Feb. 20, 2014, proved that these violent storms may happen any time of the year. 

Tornadoes can be deadly and cause serious injuries and property damage, but there are actions people can do to protect themselves and their families.  Throughout March, the Kendall County Emergency Management Agency is joining with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and other emergency management agencies across the state to promote severe weather preparedness.

IEMA and the National Weather Service have prepared a Severe Weather Preparedness Guide that provides information on what you should do before, during and after a tornado, severe thunderstorm or flooding.  The guidebook is available at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.

One of the most important preparedness actions is to have a way to receive emergency warnings 24 hours a day, especially while you sleep.  A NOAA Weather Alert Radio with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) automatically alerts when a watch or warning is issued for your county.  There are also several smartphone apps available that can alert you to imminent dangers. 

These warnings can provide precious time for you to seek shelter from an approaching tornado or severe storm.

We encourage everyone to take time in March to learn more about how you and your family can stay safe during severe weather.

Sincerely,

Joe Gillespie, Director

Tracy Page, Deputy Director

Kendall County Emergency Management Agency