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What we think of as tornado season is coming – but Illinois has already recorded eleven tornadoes in 2024.
Nevertheless, this is Severe Weather Awareness Week. Part of it is a nationwide tornado drill Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Mike McPeek, operations division chief at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, brought up a few tips during an online news conference.
“Making sure you have access to an early warning system, whether it be a weather alert radio, your cell phone. Of course the local tornado sirens are valuable this time of year,” said McPeek.
As for Wednesday, “They are going to be testing weather alert radios, so you are going to see messaging coming across, you might see EAS messages on your TV,” said McPeek. “There’s really nothing (for the public) to do besides just make sure you have access and you’re receiving those messages, that way you know you have a good capability for early warning.”