Iroquois County emergency manager details Dec. 28 tornadoes, flags siren-activation delays

The county’s emergency management official reported that four tornadoes were confirmed during a Dec. 28 outbreak and that, despite property primarily in open farmland, no injuries were reported. "Thankfully, nobody was injured," the official said while outlining damage assessments and National Weather Service confirmation.

The official told the committee that out of four warnings issued to the county, some sirens were activated significantly later than the official warnings. "The 1 that was actually here at once he get in Martenton was almost 8 minutes after the warning was issued," the official said, noting they had compared dispatch activation times with National Weather Service warning timestamps. The official said he had spoken with dispatch personnel ("Eric") and that the delay is "being addressed."

The emergency manager also updated the board on preparedness equipment and planning. He described a new lease for a large-format plotter to keep maps current and repairable rather than leaving aging equipment obsolete, and noted a Starlink terminal that can provide on-scene internet connectivity if commercial service is lost. He said the county’s emergency operations plan remains in revision and will require careful formatting for the next review.

Committee members asked follow-up questions about siren timing and the county’s review process; officials said the county is working with dispatch and outside partners to reconcile timestamps and to implement corrections. The committee did not take a separate vote on the siren issue during the meeting; staff indicated the matter is under internal review and follow-up reporting was promised.