Storm season approaches

Although the mild temperatures and sunshine of last weekend seem like promises of good weather to come, the Tazewell County Emergency Management Agency wants people to be aware that storm season is approaching.

This time of year can bring severe weather, such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, damaging winds and even snow and ice.

According to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, there were 52 tornadoes reported and four fatalities caused by flash floods in Illinois last year. Severe thunderstorms cause significant damage every year.

In order to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for severe weather, the Tazewell County Emergency Management Agency teamed up with the IEMA and the National Weather Service last week to observe Severe Weather Preparedness Week.
Tazewell County EMA director Dawn Cook said being prepared is the key to staying safe.

“It is extremely important to have a plan in place to effectively manage a home, business, school or other facility before, during and after severe weather happens,” she said.

Preparing for severe weather includes first gathering as much information as possible about what could happen. The Tazewell County EMA recommends learning about the community’s warning signals, becoming familiar with what they sound like and what should be done when they are heard.

Families should designate two meeting places in case of an emergency: one outside the home and one outside the neighborhood in case there is no access to the home.

Families should also make emergency supply kits with essentials such as canned foods, water, a first-aid kit and flashlights. 

One last step to being prepared for severe weather is practicing and maintaining the plan.

The Tazewell County EMA recommends not only practicing emergency evacuations with the family, but also quizzing children every six months on emergency numbers, meeting places, etc.

Storm Spotter Training

Thursday, the Tazewell County EMA will offer its annual storm spotter training.
The class will be at 21304 IL State Route 9 in Tremont.
To register, call Dawn Cook at 925-2271.

The class trains people on how to interpret weather conditions such as clouds, wind speeds, drops in temperature, etc. The spotters relay the information to the National Weather Service Center in Lincoln, which then issues notices to the public based on the observed information.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ed Shimon will lead the class.
He said storm spotters play an important role in keeping people safe.

“The whole goal is to warn the public and have them take action early enough to save lives,” he said.

The spotters, he said, add credibility to the National Weather Service’s public warnings.

“If we tell people what the radar is showing, it’s not as powerful as a spotter reporting it first-hand. That confirmation takes a step out of everyone else’s job because human nature is to verify what we hear,” Shimon said.

People who call the National Weather Service with weather observations should identify themselves as trained storm spotters.

 Cook said about 100 people attended the class last year, and this year, they are asking people to register for the class.

“Depending on the number of people interested, we may offer two classes this year,” she said.

Shimon said it is not surprising so many people are interested in being storm spotters, and the more people they have looking out for severe weather, the better informed the public will be.

“(Storm spotting) is appealing to a lot of people because every day, someone is talking about the weather in some capacity. It’s a prominent part of society.”