Still Time to Enter Weather Alert Radio Contest

SPRINGFIELD – People in Illinois have until May 22 to register for a chance to win a weather alert radio through the ‘Weather Alert Radios Save Lives’ contest sponsored by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA).

“Weather alert radios are important safety tools for homes and offices,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “They provide alerts for tornadoes and other hazards 24 hours a day, giving families and employees time to take necessary safety actions.”
 
Contest participants read a narrative about weather alert radios, take a five-question quiz and then register for a chance to win one of 100 radios to be awarded. A minimum of 10 winners will be selected in each IEMA region.

The contest is available on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov) and the IESMA website (www.iesma.org). 

The National Weather Service (NWS) and state and local emergency management officials strongly encourage people to have a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology, which allows the radio to be programmed to receive alerts for specified counties.

Additional information about severe weather preparedness is available on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov).