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Created on Monday, 05 March 2018 08:37

IEMA Urges People to Prepare for Severe Weather

IEMA, IESMA Sponsor Online Weather Alert Radio Contest in March

SPRINGFIELD – As recent widespread flooding demonstrates, severe weather can happen any time of the year. To help people prepare for weather emergencies, IEMA and local emergency management agencies will be promoting Severe Weather Preparedness Month throughout March.

“We want to make sure families have a plan in advance, just in case they’re ever impacted by severe weather,” said IEMA Acting Director Jennifer Ricker. “Throughout the month of March, we’ll help people understand where they should take shelter, the importance of having a family communications plan, and what should be included in their preparedness kit.”

IEMA and the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) are also sponsoring an online contest that offers Illinois residents a chance to win a weather alert radio. The “Weather Alert Radios Save Lives” contest will be available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov through March 31.

A total of 100 weather alert radios will be awarded to randomly selected participants who register after reading information about the radios and successfully completing a five-question quiz. Winners will be notified in April. The radios were purchased by IESMA to increase the use of the devices throughout Illinois.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert radios can be programmed to sound an alarm and provide information when a weather warning has been issued for your county. Other ways to receive severe weather warnings include Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), weather alert apps, TV and radio broadcasts, the Internet, outdoor warning sirens and more.

“Standing among the ruins of their Saline County home, a man, woman and their infant child told me they were thankful for the precious time their NOAA weather alert radio gave them to take shelter,” said McHenry County Emergency Management Director and IESMA Board Member David Christensen, referring to the Feb. 29, 2012, pre-dawn tornado that struck Saline County. “Those three lives saved convinced me of the value of these radios.”

A Severe Weather Preparedness Guide, which provides tips on how to prepare for weather emergencies is available on the Ready Illinois website. Additional tips and information are Available on the Ready Illinois Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter Page (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois).   

"Please keep in mind, if there are flooded roads it is very simple, don't drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don't Drown,” said Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS office in Lincoln. “Nearly all of the people who have died in floods across Illinois were in vehicles."

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Created on Thursday, 01 February 2018 09:24

IEMA Encourages People to Prepare for Earthquakes

February 7 is 206th anniversary of major quake in New Madrid Seismic Zone

SPRINGFIELD – Some of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in North America rocked the mostly rural central U.S. between December 1811 and February 1812, including parts of southern Illinois. The strongest earthquakes in this series were estimated to be around magnitude 8.0, and were felt as far away as the East Coast.

Today, this multi-state region is heavily populated and highly developed. A similar earthquake now would cause widespread devastation to buildings, utilities, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, as well as result in many injuries and deaths. While damage would be less severe in other parts of Illinois, utility outages, road closures and disruptions to deliveries of essential supplies would significantly impact the lives of most Illinoisans.  

Recognizing the earthquake risk in Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies will promote earthquake preparedness throughout February.

“In addition to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where the 1811-12 quakes occurred, southern Illinois is also adjacent to the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone,” said IEMA Interim Director Jennifer Ricker. “We can’t predict when the next devastating earthquake in this region will happen, but we can help people learn how to protect themselves and reduce damage to their homes.”

Ricker said people need to remember to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” when they feel the ground shaking: “Drop” down to the floor, take “Cover” under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture, and “Hold On” to the furniture item and be prepared to move with it until the shaking ends.

There are several steps people can take to help prevent injuries and property damage at home, such as strapping water heaters and large appliances to wall studs, anchoring overhead fans and light fixtures, and securing cabinet doors with latches. IEMA offers several short videos on do-it-yourself earthquake home mitigation projects at https://www.illinois.gov/iema/Mitigation/Pages/EarthquakeMitigationVideos.aspx.

For additional earthquake preparedness information, visit www.Ready.Illinois.gov or follow IEMA on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois).

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Created on Wednesday, 03 January 2018 08:29

IEMA Encourages People to ‘Resolve to be Prepared’

Will Highlight Preparedness, Safety Topics Each Month in 2018

SPRINGFIELD – Hurricanes, floods, wildfires, blizzards and other disasters across the U.S. in 2017 highlighted the importance of being prepared for all types of emergencies. As the New Year begins, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies throughout Illinois are encouraging people to ‘Resolve to be Ready’ for emergencies in 2018. The agencies will offer support throughout the year to help people attain the goal of better preparedness for themselves and their families.

Each month, the agencies will provide information on various preparedness or safety topics, including severe and winter weather, earthquakes, radiation, school and campus safety, cyber security and more. 

One of the first steps toward emergency preparedness is having an emergency supply kit stocked with basic survival items that are critical during an emergency, such as:

• One gallon of water per person per day (a minimum of a three-day supply)
• At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• First aid kit
• Battery-operated radio, flashlight and extra batteries
• Items for children, seniors, pets, and household members with health or medical needs

Disasters often occur with little notice, so it’s also important to have multiple ways to receive critical information 24/7, such as through NOAA all-hazards weather alert radios, Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled on most smartphones, mobile device apps, TV, radio and the Internet.

IEMA maintains the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov), a one-stop location for preparedness information on a variety of hazards.  In addition to information on how to prepare for emergencies, the Ready Illinois website also provides guidance on what to do during and after a disaster. A list of the 2018 monthly preparedness topics is also available on the Ready Illinois website.

Preparedness information is also available through the Ready Illinois Facebook (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois) pages.

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Created on Friday, 01 December 2017 08:08

IEMA Highlights Holiday Safety in December

Tips offered for preparedness gifts, holiday decorating

SPRINGFIELD – With the holiday season in full swing, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies are offering tips to help people stay safe now and into 2018.

“Throughout December, we’ll offer tips to help people safely enjoy the holiday season, as well as provide ideas on gifts that can help friends and family stay safe during all types of emergencies,” said IEMA Acting Director Joe Klinger.

Klinger offered several ideas for preparedness and safety gifts, including the following:
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert radio with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• First aid kit with sterile bandages and gauze pads in assorted sizes, antiseptic, latex gloves, tweezers, scissors, soap and moistened towelettes, and thermometer
• Home emergency preparedness kit stocked with a three-day supply of bottled water and non-perishable food, battery-powered radio, weather radio and flashlights with extra batteries, first aid kit, shut-off wrench (to turn off household gas and water), manual can opener, and fire extinguisher
• Vehicle preparedness kit stocked with a flashlight with extra batteries; first aid kit; water and non-perishable snacks; blankets; windshield scraper and brush; booster cables; sack of sand or kitty litter; tool kit; and shovel
• Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector

Most preparedness gift items can be found in hardware and department stores.

Candles and strings of colored lights create a festive holiday atmosphere, but it’s important to be careful when using them. Candles should never be left unattended and should be placed on stable furniture in fire-safe holders that will catch dripping wax. Holiday lights and electrical decorations should bear the name of an independent testing lab to prove they were safety tested. 

IEMA will be posting holiday safety tips throughout December on the Ready Illinois Facebook (www.Facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois) pages. Additional information on emergency preparedness is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.