The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is urging the public to take Friday’s predicted storms seriously. The storms are expected to affect most of the state and could be dangerous, says IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau.    

Tate-Nadeau recommends turning on your radio/weather radio and making sure a flashlight is handy and your phone is fully charged. It also doesn’t hurt to have a little “go bag” packed with a portable charger, batteries and cash just in case. She notes that they’ve already written up a disaster proclamation for the governor to sign if needed. That will speed up assistance and recovery efforts. 

Tate-Nadeau says that flooding may be a problem once the storms have passed and urges drivers not to try and drive through areas with standing water. She says local emergency responders are ready and that IEMA has prepared a disaster proclamation in case it’s needed to quickly get resources to hard hit areas.