Franklin County Government is proud to support Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 4th – 10th, 2018.

BENTON – Franklin County officials are teaming up with the State of Illinois and the National Weather Service to support Severe Weather Preparedness Week; a statewide effort designed to increase awareness of the severe weather that affects everyone and to encourage individuals, families, businesses and communities to know their risk, take action, and be an example.

Being prepared to act quickly could be a matter of survival. This is especially evident during the threat of severe weather. On February 28th, 2017, a massive EF-4 Tornado scared the landscape of western Franklin County leaving behind a path of destruction that destroyed three homes. Director of Emergency Management Ryan M. Buckingham is encouraging residents to take three simple steps to be better prepared for severe weather:

Step 1: Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming storm ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecast regularly, obtain a NOAA All-Hazards Radio, and learn about Wireless Emergency Alerts. Severe weather comes in many forms and your shelter plan should include all types of local hazards.

Step 2: Take Action: Before storms strike, develop a family communication plan, create or purchase an emergency supplies kit and NOAA All-Hazards Radio. You can also sign up for free text alerts from Franklin County Emergency Management Agency by texting your zip code to the number 888777.

Step 3: Be an Example: Share your preparedness story with your friends and family on social media. Letting others know that you’re prepared will prompt them to prepare as well. Studies show that many people use social media in the event of a disaster to let relatives and friends know they are safe. Being weather ready is a collective effort. It takes the whole community to effectively prepare for, protect against, respond to, and recover from the damages caused by tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and other severe weather.

Contact:

Office of the Director of Emergency Management Ryan M. Buckingham 618-439-4362 information@franklincountyema.com
Office of the Director of Emergency Management Office: (618) 439-4EMA  24 Hour Emergency: (618) 438-4841 www.franklincountyema.com – information@franklincountyema.com

“We are proud to support the goals of Severe Weather Preparedness Week” said Director of Emergency Management Ryan M. Buckingham. “We hope citizens and visitors will take advantage of the activities we have planned for the week and better prepare for severe weather”, added the Director.

Local events scheduled for this week include:

 Free NOAA All-Hazards Radio Programming – Have you purchased a NOAA Weather Radio but need help programming it? Let us help! Officials will be at the following locations to program radios throughout the week:

Monday, March 5th – Wal-Mart (West City) – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Tuesday, March 6th – Cowboy Up Auto (Christopher) – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Wednesday, March 7th – Kroger (West Frankfort) – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Thursday, March 8th – Cowboy Up Auto (Christopher) – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Friday, March 9th – Rural King (West City) – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

 Monday, March 5th – SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training – Sponsored by Franklin County EMA, West City Fire Department and National Weather Service starting at 6:00 PM at the West City Community Center located at 201 S. Browning Street in West City. This event is free and open to the public. Come out and learn how to detect and report severe weather!

 Tuesday, March 6th – A Statewide Tornado Drill will commence at 10:00 AM. Local warning systems will be activated to allow residents and business owners the opportunity to practice their severe weather preparedness plans.

Share this information with your friends on social media using the hash tag #SWPW18! Join us on Twitter @FCEMA and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FCEMA. Learn more about Franklin County Emergency Management Agency at our website at www.franklincountyil.gov/FCEMA.

MT. VERNON  –   Several media sources are reporting  there has been an accident,, involving a pedestrian and a semi on Route 57, just south of the North 57-64 split.

The website Getting Around Illinois is showing heavy congestion right at exit 95 both ways, and on Broadway in Mt. Vernon.

Please avoid this area as emergency crews are on the scene.  – Steve

Departing High pressure will yield one more nice weather day today, before letting clouds increase tonight, as rain sets in to start the new work week. (NWS Paducah)

Seven Day Forecast

Today

Sunny, with a high near 57. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Flood Warning Continues for the Big Muddy

…The flood warning continues for the following rivers in Illinois… Big Muddy River near Plumfield and Murphysboro .

The Big Muddy River at Plumfield and Murphysboro will continue to fall into next week. Minor flooding is ongoing at Plumfield and is forecast to fall below flood stage by midday tomorrow. Moderate flooding is ongoing at Murphysboro and is forecast to fall below flood stage by Thursday night.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… SAFETY MESSAGE… Never drive cars…trucks or sport utility vehicles through flooded areas. The water may be too deep to allow safe passage. Never allow children to play in or near flood waters. Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or your local media for further statements and possible updated forecasts.

Hazardous Weather Outlook

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .
DAY ONE…Today and Tonight Flood warnings continue. Reference the warnings and statements for details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Monday through Saturday Continuing flooding and details thereof may be referenced via the latest warnings and statements.

Frost is expected Wednesday night and Thursday night, when Lows are forecast in the 20s.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT… Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.

From Southern Illinois University News Service 

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Your brain is essential to everything you do, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Cognitive Sciences Graduate Organization wants you to take better care of it. To help, the registered student organization has events lined up throughout March designed highlight the many facets of brain health.

“The brain really is the powerhouse of everything you do,” said Jennica Young, a doctoral candidate in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Program, who is helping organize the event. “We want more people thinking about ways to protect your brain, and keep it safer. Because it helps you with all your function.”

Image from bebrainfit.com

Events cover many aspects of brain health

Brain Awareness Month, an extension of a week-long event held over Spring Break in previous years, will include events focused on different aspects of brain health. All the events are free and open to the public.

Other sponsors for the events include Sigma Xi, Health and Wellness, the SIU Psychology Program and the Graduate and Professional Student Council.

“Brain awareness encompasses a lot of things,” Young said, including mental health, injury, conditions such as epilepsy and diseases such as Alzheimer’s. SIU’s events will focus on substance abuse, traumatic brain injury and mental health.

Resilience and Coping with Stress Workshop, March 6

The first event will be a workshop designed to help students better manage stress and difficult events. Attendees will learn coping methods such as meditation, relaxation exercises and mindfulness techniques.

Workshop leaders will also provide guidance for breaking cycles of negative thinking and developing a more positive outlook. Young said people should walk away with research-based tools for managing and coping with both every day stressors and more intense situations.

“They should also know that it’s not just them,” Young said. “I’m really hoping they just take away a good message about how to better themselves and move forward.”

The workshop will be at 2:30 p.m., March 6 in Morris Library rooms 752 and 754.

Mental health and substance abuse lecture, March 23

Dr. Jonathan Hammersley, an assistant professor at Western Illinois University, will discuss his research on the correlations between mental health and substance abuse in college students at 3 p.m., March 23 in the Life Sciences III Auditorium.

Hammersley has investigated how domestic abuse and sexual assault relate to suicidal thoughts in college students; how nicotine and smoking affect cognition and mental health; and how students’ estimates of their friends’ drug use affected mental health.

“It’s kind of an open secret,” Young said. “We know students are using, but we don’t talk about it or address it.”

‘Crash Reel’ viewing and panel discussion, March 29

“Crash Reel” follows Kevin Pearce, a U.S. champion snowboarder who suffered a brain injury while training for the 2010 Olympics. The film shows Pearce’s recovery and the lasting impacts of traumatic brain injury.

The film will play at 1 p.m., March 29 at the Guyon Auditorium, followed by a panel discussion about traumatic brain injury, treatments, and recovery.

Traumatic brain injury takes a personal toll

Young said she is especially passionate about the effects of traumatic brain injury after watching her sister recover from an accident 12 years ago, when she fell into a metal pole and has since struggled with cognitive impairments, vision problems, seizures and other effects.

“She progressed through high school, but it took a lot of work,” Young said, adding that her sister’s teachers would come to their house to provide extra help with her school work. Her sister has gone on to graduate college, but still has seizures and often has to change prescriptions for eye glasses.

“Your neurons start to slowly regenerate,” Young said. “It’s not like a cut, where it heals in a couple of weeks. It’s a really slow process.”

Wear a helmet and take your vitamins

That is one reason Young said she thinks it is so important to educate people about brain health. The effects of traumatic brain injury can be mitigated with a healthy lifestyle and taking simple steps to reduce risk.

“I see a lot of students on campus riding bikes without helmets,” Young said. “Unfortunately, they also ride in the road. That’s not a good combination.”

She added that students who do wear helmets, whether to ride bicycles or play in a sport, do not often understand how to care for the equipment.

“Once a helmet gets hit, you have to get a new helmet,” she said. “Because it’s not as effective the second time it gets hit.”

Young said in addition to taking protective measures like wearing a helmet and walking cautiously on icy days, lifestyle choices can have a big impact on brain health.

Regular exercise has been shown to protect memory and cognition as people age, as has an improved diet which includes more fruits and vegetables. Continued education, like taking an occasional college class, also helps prevent dementia and mental decline.

“Take your vitamins,” Young said, quoting research showing that traumatic brain injury depletes a number of nutrients, including B-vitamins and magnesium. She said a daily multivitamin can help keep those stores high in case something should happen.

Other events and fundraisers

Young said event organizers are planning several other events throughout March to help raise awareness and money.

The Cognitive Sciences Student Organization is selling T-shirts featuring the Alzheimer’s Association’s “10 Ways to Love Your Brain” logo throughout the month, and Pagliai’s Pizza will donate a portion of its proceeds on March 29 to the Alzheimer’s Association.

In addition, Brain and Cognitive Science students are planning outreach at the Prairie Living at Chautauqua assisted living community on March 15.