Municipalities and counties throughout Illinois will be able to seek state recognition for efforts to enhance emergency preparedness in their communities under an initiative announced today by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).  The Ready to Respond Community Program will challenge local officials to take steps to ensure government representatives, businesses and citizens are better prepared for all types of disasters.

The statewide average temperature for March was 54.9 degrees, 13.8 degrees above normal, making March 2012 a record-setting month, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

The warmest temperature reported in the state was at Chicago O'Hare on March 21 with 87 degrees. The coldest temperature reported was in Monmouth on March 5 with 5 degrees.

The National Weather Service in Paducah has confirmed what many in the Tri-State already suspected:  We have a lot of tornadoes that occur in the overnight hours.

Using Data from 1950-2005, the NWS has identified a "Nocturnal Tornado Alley".  As the chart shows, more than 40% of our tornadoes have occured at night.

Between 1996 and 2012, 46 people have died in tornadoes in the Paducah warning area (most of the Tri-State).