Every year in the United States, hundreds of people are killed, and thousands are injured because of the weather. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to stop dangerous weather from affecting us, but there are things we can do to stay safe when the sky turns grey. Weather safety and survival – no matter what the hazard – depends on the following key items:
Know the Hazards – Be aware of the hazards that exist where you live.
Be Alert and Ready – Be aware of issued watches, warnings, and advisories. Know what protective actions to take during each level of notification.
Have a Plan to Stay Safe – Make sure that each member of your family knows what protective actions to take during each level of notification.
You will find important information about the different types of weather hazards, how to prepare, how to protect yourself and much more at Ready Illinois or National Weather Service and on the Hanover Park Fire Department Emergency Management pages.
Alerting Systems
Did you know…The Village of Hanover Park has six Outdoor Warning Sirens that alert when activated by our 9-1-1 Dispatch Center, Du-Comm. Du-Comm and Fulton Siren Services are in the process of upgrading our Outdoor Warning Siren system this spring. This upgrade will allow a more targeted activation of the sirens instead of a whole area-wide activation based on the National Weather Service’s warnings. This next improvement to the Outdoor Warning Siren system will allow the National Weather Service to predetermine siren groupings to be activated for a specific warning location based on the storm track. Residents will be able to gain confidence in the Outdoor Warning Siren system and know when those sirens sound, it means the severe weather is near you.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are alert messages sent to your mobile phone during an emergency. No sign-up is required. WEA are sent only during an emergency. They are sent by government alerting authorities through your mobile carrier. The National Weather Service sends WEA messages for Extreme Wind, Flash Flood, Severe Thunderstorm, Tornado, Dust Storm, Hurricane/Typhoon, Storm Surge, Tsunami, and Snow Squall warnings. WEA messages are relevant to your location – you only receive WEA messages when you are on your cell phone in the area of the emergency. If you visit another city, you will only receive alerts for that location and not your hometown. You can visit Weather warnings on the go! for more information on Wireless Emergency Alerts.
Are you interested in becoming a Storm Spotter for the National Weather Service? Volunteers for the SKYWARN® Storm Spotter Program help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service. Visit the 2024 Chicago Storm Spotter page for more information.
Did you know that the Village of Hanover Park is designated by the National Weather Service as a StormReady® community? StormReady communities are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education, and awareness. No community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives. To be officially designated as S
tormReady, a community must:
- Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center.
- Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public.
- Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally.
- Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars.
- Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
You can learn more about the StormReady communities at NWS StormReady Program.