Iroquois County Emergency Management Agency was notified by the US National Weather Service’s (NWS) Chicago office that a third tornado has been confirmed to have touched down in Iroquois County during the severe weather outbreak that occurred during the storms Friday night, April 17th.

 

After further review by the NWS of previous data and damage assessment by Iroquois County EMA, the damage that was sustained from Woodland- extending northeast to south of Watseka, has been designated as an EF-0 tornado.

 

The storm damage path through Watseka is still being reviewed as satellite imaging is being looked over. Currently the damage is being designated as straight line wind damage.

 

Iroquois County residents are also being advised to keep weather aware on Monday as the potential for severe weather will once again be in our area. Be prepared for multiple waves of severe weather possible throughout the day, during the evening, and into the overnight hours. These predicted storms may contain high winds, large damaging hail and the possibility for tornadoes exist.

 

As we always recommend, please have multiple ways to receive severe weather alerts. Having multiple sources to receive emergency weather warnings is critical because no single system is guaranteed to reach you every time. Power outages, poor cell service, or simply being asleep can cause you to miss an alert if you rely on only one method. Using a combination of tools—such as National Weather Service alerts, NOAA Weather Radios, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), the Regroup app, and local media—helps ensure you receive timely warnings no matter the situation, giving you more time to take action and stay safe.

 

Scott Anderson, Director

Iroquois County Emergency Management Agency