March is Severe Weather Preparedness Month, and that has some in our area prepping for any possibility.
Illinois averages 50 tornadoes per year. That’s fourth in the U.S. per square mile.
Last year 50 tornadoes in Illinois left three dead, seven injured and more than $12 million in damage.
As tornado season approaches and the threat of other severe weather increases, the DuPage County Office of Emergency Management is partnering with the National Weather Service by teaching severe weather spotter classes to the community.
Trained severe weather spotters can provide accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS.
“It’s important for all of us to be involved in some form of government, and the more we can be transparent on any issue from budgets to the weather and being involved with public service or public safety, I think that brings people into what we do,” said Janice Anderson, a DuPage County Board member.
Emergency officials urge you to be prepared, have multiple ways to receive alerts, and understand what those alerts mean.
“A watch just simply means that conditions could be right for that kind of event. So what do you do? Be a little bit extra vigilant. Pay attention to the weather. Be prepared. A warning means that the type of warning is imminent usually in about the next 20 minutes. That means take action,” said John Nebl, emergency management coordinator for the DuPage County Office of Emergency Management.
And as several roads in town are prone to flooding, officials remind you to be cautious.
“If you see water in the roadway, you really don’t know how deep that water is. It could be a couple of inches. It could be a foot. Twelve to 18 inches of moving water can move a car,” said Nebl.
The Office of Emergency Management offers additional severe weather spotter trainings throughout the year.
Naperville News 17’s Beth Bria reports.
