Protecting your family during tornados
Resident cleans up after recent tornado hit Alabama; Illinois gets 40 tornados a year, on average.
/ Courtesy of AP GraphicsBank
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich proclaimed this week as Emergency Preparedness Week.
On average, Illinois sees at least 40 tornados each year.
There are steps to protect your family against mother nature.
Keep an emergency kit with flashlights, batteries, water and food in case you're trapped in your home.
Have a plan for each situation and practice it.
John Simon of the Adams County Emergency Management Agency says a weather radio is one of the most important tools to keep on hand during bad weather.
You can get one in stores like Radio Shack for under $30. Or order one from the Agency's website, www.co.adams.il.us/ema.
Look for the public alert symbol to make sure its from a reputable company.
There's no fee to keep the service and you can program it to include warnings for specific counties.
There's a difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning that you would hear on a weather radio or from our weather lab.
A watch means conditions are favorable while a warning means a tornado is already happening or it's imminent that we will see a twister.
If you're driving during a tornado you should look for the nearest ditch without standing water.
John Simon says a common misconception is to get under an overpass. That could actually put you in more danger of being hit by flying debris.
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