Nearly 50 weather warnings were issued Tuesday evening across the northern half of Illinois, including 19 tornado warnings. Several tornado touchdowns were reported, resulting in damage to dozens of structures. Fortunately, it appears no serious injuries or deaths resulted from the storms.

James K. Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), said the severe weather outbreak serves as a vivid reminder that people need to have a way to receive severe weather warnings any time of the day or night, such as with a weather alert radio. Joseph added that Illinois residents currently have an opportunity to win one of 100 weather alert radios to be awarded through an online contest.

The ‘Weather Alert Radios Save Lives’ contest, sponsored by IEMA and the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA), is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov. Participants will be registered for a random drawing for the radios after reading information about weather alert radios and successfully completing a five-question quiz.

The contest runs through March 31. Winners will be announced in April. The radios were purchased by IESMA as part of an effort to increase the use of the devices in communities throughout Illinois.