Village is Ready for Bad Weather

It's been 45 years since a tornado hit Lake Zurich, and the village is prepared in case it happens again.

While talking to members of the , Fire Chief Dave Wheelock described the incredible devastation in Harrisburg, Ill., which was hit by an EF4 tornado Feb. 28. An EF5 tornado struck Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011, killing more than 100 people and leaving the town's hospital in ruins.

"Those are all things we have to prepare for," said Wheelock.

"Early warnings are essential," he said.

Wheelock stressed the importance of having a weather radio. He said the village's outdoor warning sirens are meant for just that — to be heard outdoors.

"They are not meant to be heard” indoors, said Wheelock. When the sirens are heard outdoors, "that means something is coming our way."

The tornado sirens are tested at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. Wheelock noted, however, that if the weather happens to be bad on the day of the test, the siren test would be canceled so that there is no confusion.

"The authority to sound those sirens rests with me," said Wheelock. "If we set our sirens off, that means there's something we're in the path of."

The village's outdoor sirens are located at Paulus Park, Fire Station No. 1, on Cuba Road near Route 12, at Route 12 and Miller, on Ensell Road, and on Old Mill Grove Road.

Wheelock said residents should be aware that if they have heard the sirens, they should not expect to hear an all-clear siren when the severe weather threat has passed.

"There is no all-clear given on those outdoor warning sirens," said Wheelock.

The village also has that operate between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. The lightning prediction systems include a "15-second blast and a strobe light that means the area is conducive to lightning.

"All outdoor activities should stop," said Wheelock, adding that people then should seek shelter. "Believe me, it doesn't take rain for there to be lightning. Don't go stand under a tall tree."

• Read more about how to be ready for severe weather.