By Andy Dahn
BLOOMINGTON – Recent severe storms across Illinois, which included several reported tornado touchdowns, should serve as a reminder to residents to be prepared for future storms.
That’s according to Spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Patti Thompson, who said owning a weather alert radio is a necessity as temperatures warm up and severe storms become more common.
“Even if you have outdoor warning sirens in your neighborhood, you might not hear those at night,” Thompson said. “You’re sound asleep, you’ve got your windows closed and you might have the air conditioning on. It’s important to have something that’s going to wake you up, and the alert radio is one of those ways that you can get that kind of warning in the middle of the night.”
Thompson said the alert radios can help in a variety of situations.
“It’ll tell you exactly what the hazard is,” said Thompson. “It’s not just for tornadoes. It’s going to alert you of other hazards that are in your area. It could even be a hazardous material or something else that might be a danger to you. It’ll tell you what the danger is and what you should be doing.”
The IEMA’s “Weather Alert Radios Save Lives” Contest is giving away alert radios to 100 Illinois residents who participate. Contest information and more severe weather safety tips are available at ready.illinois.gov.
Andy Dahn can be reached at andy.dahn@cumulus.com.
