Be prepared for severe weather

Published on March 03, 2026

As the seasons turn, spring can bring with it severe weather in the form of storms, tornadoes and other weather events.

As part of Severe Weather Preparedness Month, the Oak Park Public Health Department is joining the National Weather Service and Illinois Emergency Management Agency in urging community members to familiarize themselves with how to prepare for severe weather events like floods, tornadoes, lightning and more.

Don't know where to start? Check out www.ready.gov/severe-weather and www.weather.gov/ilx/severe-prep for helpful resources.

Important steps you can take include:

• Understand the risks in our area.
• Make sure you have a way to receive emergency weather alerts.
• Build a preparedness kit that includes items you need in case the power goes out, or you need to leave your home quickly.
• Make sure your family has plans for evacuation, shelter and communications in the event of a severe weather event.

Know the terms

A tornado watch means severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible over the next few hours, so be prepared. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted by a trained storm spotter, or intense rotation that will likely produce a tornado has been detected by Doppler radar — get to a place of safety immediately.

Local warning siren

The West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center (WSCDC), the emergency 911 hub for Oak Park and other nearby communities, sounds a warning siren when a tornado is sighted within a 10-mile radius. The sirens also are activated at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of every month as part of a regular statewide test.

Sign up to receive emergency alerts

Community members who wish to receive emergency alerts from the Village are encouraged to sign up for an account at www.oak-park.us/notifyme. The registration process for the Village’s new emergency alerts system allows users to choose how they would like to be notified – by text, email and/or voice message. The Village distributes messages only when deemed important, such as alerts about severe weather, snow emergency parking and mosquito spraying. For more information about emergency alerts, email alerts@oak-park.us. 

Emergency preparedness in Oak Park is managed by the Public Health Department. For more information, visit www.oak-park.us/emergencypreparedness or contact health@oak-park.us or 708.358.5480.