IEMA's 12-Month Preparedness Campaign will focus on children and preparedness throughout the month of May. In addition to highlighting steps families, schools and child care providers can take to be prepared, IEMA is also urging kids of all ages to learn more about preparedness. A 50-page activity book filled with word searches, mazes, crossword puzzles and other activities offers a fun way for children to learn about preparedness. The activity book can be downloaded from the Ready Illinois website or by clicking the icon to the left.

Click here to read the Children and Preparedness press release.

On May 8, 2009, a vicious storm, known as a derecho, devastated several counties in southern Illinois. The storm caused extensive damage throughout the area, including uprooting countless trees, downing power lines and damaging homes. IEMA conducted an online survey following the storm to assess how prepared people were for such a disaster and how they received information after the storm.

Results from that survey are available in this report.

During the month of April, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is highlighting earthquake preparedness as part of its 12-Month Preparedness Campaign. While most people are familiar with the earthquake hazard along the West Coast of the U.S., many are not aware that one of the most powerful earthquakes to ever occur in the continental U.S. was centered near the town of New Madrid in southeastern Missouri during the winter of 1811-1812.

Southern Illinois lies within two mid-continental seismic zones. The New Madrid Seismic Zone stretches from Illinois to Mississippi along the Central Mississippi River Valley, while the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone is located between southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana. While the greatest earthquake risks lie in these areas, earthquakes have occurred throughout Illinois.

For more information about the earthquake threat in Illinois and what you can do to prepare, read the Earthquake Preparedness Month press release and check out the "Earthquakes in Illinois" section on the IEMA website.

There are a number of severe weather hazards that affect Illinois, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, floods and flash floods, damaging winds and large hail, snow and ice. Severe weather hazards have the potential to cause extensive property damage, injury and/or death.

In 2006, Severe Weather Preparedness week had ended one day before the tornadoes touched down in Springfield.

In order to assist the people of Illinois to be better prepared in case of severe weather, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, works together with the National Weather Service and the American Red Cross to promote weather preparedness through public awareness campaigns. These goals are reached through press releases, media coverage and publication of a booklet containing information regarding safety measures, warning signs, historical data and contact information. The Severe Weather Preparedness document can be found here.

During the first week of March containing a Tuesday, the Severe Weather Preparedness campaign is promoted. This preparedness week is promoted in conjunction with the state-wide tornado drill. Read the Severe Weather Preparedness week press release.

For information on severe winter weather, click here.

A newly forged partnership between amateur radio operators throughout the state and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) will provide an additional layer of emergency communications during disasters. The agreement creates the State Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) program, which will facilitate communications between the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) and the amateur radio operators in Illinois. The agreement further strengthens the state's federally approved State Communications Interoperability Plan, which includes several layers of redundant communications systems.

Click here to read more.

Year-long campaign to focus on different aspects of preparedness during 2010

As people throughout Illinois make resolutions for the New Year, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is hoping many will resolve to become better prepared for emergencies during 2010. To help with those resolutions, the agency has launched a year-long preparedness campaign called the "12-Month Preparedness Campaign."

"People sometimes think emergency preparedness is too daunting, so they don't do anything," said IEMA Director Andrew Velasquez III. "By focusing on one aspect of preparedness each month, we'll take people through preparedness step by step. Hopefully, by the end of this year people will find it was easy to become better prepared for disasters."

Velasquez said IEMA will focus on a different preparedness topic each month in 2010, beginning with home preparedness in January. Throughout the month, the agency will feature personal and family preparedness tips and guidance on the Ready Illinois website, as well as photos, videos and additional preparedness information through the Ready Illinois Facebook page. Directions on assembling a disaster supply kit and information about family emergency plans are two of the subjects that will be featured during January.

Other topics to be addressed during the year-long campaign include home preparedness, workplace preparedness, earthquake preparedness, children and preparedness, weather-related preparedness, cyber security, preparedness for people with pets and livestock and preparedness for people with functional needs.

Illinois' campaign to encourage people to be prepared for disasters has a new TV spot thanks to the creative efforts of a high school junior from Springfield. Lanphier High School student Brittny Barger submitted the winning entry in the "Ready Illinois High School Challenge" contest, and her script has already been produced as a 30-second TV spot. The contest was sponsored by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF), in cooperation with the Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA).

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