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In the ongoing effort to support our local, county, and state partners, IEMA will provide information and specifics to coordinate current information:
 

  • Presidential Disaster Declaration for Cook, Fulton, Henry, St. Clair, Washington, Will, and Winnebago Counties in Illinois for severe weather in July 2024
  • Presidential Disaster Declaration for St. Clair County in Illinois for flooding for 2022
  • Presidential Disaster Declaration for Cook County in Illinois for severe weather in June/July 2023
  • The State of Illinois Disaster Proclamation for the Asylum Seekers in Illinois

Outdoor Warning Sirens

An Emergency Outdoor Warning Siren System is an all-hazards siren system used to warn the general population of potential danger. During an emergency, the sirens may be activated for a set amount of time as determined by your community.

What Do the Sirens Mean?

Most systems use two siren tones.

  • Alert: A single tone signifying an emergency alert. This signal may be used to inform the community of an emergency or disaster, including a severe storm, tornado warning (not a tornado watch), earthquake, chemical hazard/hazardous material incident, extreme winds, or biological hazard.

  • Attack: An up-and-down, rising and falling tone to signify there is a homeland security or attack emergency. This signal would be used if community officials were notified by federal and/or state government officials of an actual or impending attack on the local community.

  • All Clear: Many communities do not use an All Clear signal. Tune in to your local news agencies and listen for notification from city officials regarding the emergency.

Siren Test Times

Sirens are tested on the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m.

What Should I Do if I Hear the Sirens?

If the sirens are activated - and it is not a monthly siren test - the public should see it as a signal to

  • seek shelter;  
  • tune in to radio or television to get information about
    • type of emergency and
    • instructions and recommendations; and
  • listen to your local media for indications that the emergency is over.
The public should not call 9-1-1 unless they have an actual emergency.

What Do the Siren Signals Sound Like?

Note: Audio files are produced in MP3 format. You will need to use a media player to play the files.