Illinois Emergency Management Agency and
Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS)
Winter Weather Preparation Tips!
Illinois residents are encouraged to keep a winter storm kit in their vehicles.
As winter weather approaches, it’s important for Illinois residents to be prepared for anything. Having the right items on hand could possibly save your life.
Nov. 4-8 is Winter Weather Preparedness Week, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) is making sure people take stock of preparedness items.
“If you take steps now to be ready for bitter winds, snow, and ice, you’ll be grateful during the first storm,” said IEMA-OHS Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “Each of us needs to think about preparing our home, offices, school, vehicle, and family for the worst because extreme cold and blizzards can be deadly.”
Items in this kit should include:
Cell phone and chargers
Blankets/sleeping bags
Extra clothing
Jumper cables
Flashlight
Extra batteries
Extra water
High-calorie, non-perishable foods
Tate-Nadeau said that there’s a very small possibility of escaping winter weather. There has not been a winter in the state without at least one winter storm in the past century.
According to Tate-Nadeau, from Dec. 2023 through March 2024, they were four snow/ice storms that impacted Illinois. Additionally, there were 10 winter storms affecting the state from Nov. 2022 through March 2023.
“The National Weather Service (NWS) is simplifying winter weather warnings and advisories to make it easier for the public to understand,” said NWS Central Illinois Warning Coordination Meteorologist Ed Shimon. “Wind chill watches, warnings and advisories have been eliminated. Instead, they have been consolidated into extreme cold watches and warnings and cold weather advisories.”
Items in your kit should be available year-round, but preparing your home before the winter rolls around can also be essential to survival. Prepping your home includes:
Checking walls and attics for insulation
Weatherizing doors and windows
Insulating water pipes
Detaching and draining water hoses
Sealing leaks
Having extra fuel for heating
Reviewing safety instructions for each preparation measure
School and office preparations are similar to those of a house, and they include procedures for notifying staff and students about potential closings and transportation.
For more information on travel preparedness visit gettingaroundillinois.com, and for more tips on weather preparation go to the IEMA Winter Weather Preparedness Guide (https://iemaohs.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/iemaohs/preparedness/documents/winter-storm-preparedness-guidebook.pdf).