Thunderstorms may be severe beginning this evening and through tomorrow, with the greatest threat between 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. These storms may include hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Peoria County's Emergency Management Agency reminds people to review family and workplace emergency plans and have a means for staying abreast of weather alerts such as watches and warnings.

Residents should identify a safe location in their home to take shelter. This location should either be in the basement, away from windows or potential debris hazards, or in an area on the lowest level of the residence that does not have any windows, such as a closet, hallway, or interior bathroom. Make sure all family members know where this location is, and it is also recommended to keep an emergency supply kit in this location. A list of supply items can be found at http://www.ready.gov/kit.

There are a variety of means for keeping informed of potentially hazardous weather, including a NOAA weather alert radio, weather alert smartphone apps such as the American Red Cross' tornado app, television and radio broadcasts, and Internet weather sites. Many smartphones also offer Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). To ensure this is activated, check the phone's notifications under "Government Alerts" and confirm "Emergency Alerts" is on. WEA-enabled phones will alert the user to tornado and flash flood warnings issued for their current location, even when away from home.

Peoria County and the City of Peoria combined have over 100 outdoor warning sirens. The tornado alert sounds a steady signal for 3 – 5 minutes, indicating residents should take shelter and turn on a radio or television and listen for emergency information. It is important to remember these sirens are intended to alert people who are outside. People indoors should not rely on an outdoor warning siren because they may not hear the siren, especially when sleeping. Therefore, one of the aforementioned means for receiving emergency alerts is highly recommended.