Extreme Heat and Fire Weather Conditions in the West; Heavy Rain in the Southeast; Poor Air Quality

Extreme heat will begin to peak across the Desert Southwest. Multiple days of hot, dry and windy conditions are expected to bring fire weather concerns for portions of the Four Corners region into the central Great Basin and Rockies. Heavy rainfall and a flash flooding threat continues in the Southeast. Poor air quality persists from the Upper Midwest into the Northeast due to wildfire smoke. Read More >

StormReady is a National Weather Service (NWS) program that was started in 1999 that helps arm America's counties and communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property - before and during the event. StormReady helps county leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs. StormReady counties are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education and awareness. No county is storm proof, but StormReady can help counties save lives.

Orland Park and Bensenville are among the 73 communities in Illinois that have become StormReady. The StormReady program recognizes communities, counties, and colleges/universities that establish exceptional severe weather preparedness plans and communications. Some of the requirements include:

Redundant methods of receiving NWS watches and warnings
Redundant methods of disseminating warning information to the public and county/community officials
Methods of monitoring local weather conditions and radar
Trained severe storm spotters
Pubic education programs on severe weather safety and preparedness
Annual severe weather exercises
Communications with the local NWS office

There have been numerous severe weather events that have impacted northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, including the Chicago metro area, this year. These events reflect the importance of being prepared and the need for StormReady.

Orland Park and Bensenville government officials and Emergency Management Agencies have worked hard to meet and exceed these requirements, and we congratulate them for their effort and look forward to continuing to work closely with them.

Pictured from left to right are Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy, Orland Park Mayor Daniel McLaughlin, NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Mike Bardou and Orland Park Deputy Police Chief Thomas Kenealy.

Left photo: Bensenville Village President Frank Soto, NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Mike Bardou, Doglas Fillip and Bensenville EMA Coordinator Don Schultz.

Right photo: Top row from left to right: Bensenville EMA Coordinator Don Schultz, Daniel Otte, Phillip Jaffe, Ramona Westfall, Angel Ramirez and Dan Rosenwinkel. Bottom row from left to right: Deborah Koster, Eric Focht, Douglas Fillip

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Extreme Heat and Fire Weather Conditions in the West; Heavy Rain in the Southeast; Poor Air Quality

Orland Park & Bensenville are StormReady!