With an ominous Thursday-morning forecast for most of the central U.S.— including 45 to 50 mph wind gusts here in Kane County —  the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency Region V encourages everyone to get prepared.

The National Weather Service for Chicago says there’s a “powerhouse autumn storm system” that was expected to roll in Wednesday night and continue through Thursday morning, Nov. 12, 2015.

“Even though temperatures are dropping as we approach the winter months, severe storms are still a risk,” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “Now is the time to make sure your family knows what to do to stay safe, and verify your mobile phone is enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts to warn you of extreme weather and other emergencies in your area.”

Individuals living throughout Illinois and Indiana, southern Wisconsin and western Ohio should follow the instructions of state and local officials and listen to local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information related to this storm system. Purchasing a weather radio for your home is another way to ensure that you receive critical warning information. If a warning is issued, get indoors, and move to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls.

Find valuable tips to help you prepare for severe storms at Ready.gov and download the free FEMA app, available for your Android, Apple or Blackberry device. Visit the site or download the app today so you have the information you need to prepare for severe weather.

About FEMA

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema.