Mason County EMA

05/25/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CiRVzJnTS/

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 - 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁

Field and brush fires in Illinois can move faster than expected.

Wind, terrain, and available fuel can quickly change conditions. What starts as a small fire can expand across jurisdictions, impact roadways, and threaten structures in a short period of time.

Initial response matters. So does coordination.

Fire service, law enforcement, EMS, public works, and emergency management all play a role in managing these incidents safely and effectively.

Preparedness before the incident supports response during it.

This week, consider:

How quickly can resources be scaled for a fast-moving fire?
Are communication pathways clear across agencies?
Are mutual aid partners familiar with local risks?

Coordination, communication, and shared understanding reduce complexity when incidents escalate.

If there are questions about coordination or planning, connect with your local emergency management agency and regional partners. Systems like the Illinois Emergency Management Mutual Aid System support resource sharing and coordination when incidents extend beyond local capacity.

Strong partnerships support strong response.

05/13/2026

Mason County EMA is now linked to the US National Weather Service Central Illinois on Facebook at facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.CentralIllinois.gov
Twitter () at twitter.com/NWSLincolnIL and YouTube US National Weather Service Central Illinois.

Follow or Subscribe these for latest weather forecasts and alerts.

You will also receive weather alerts by signing-up for Hyper-reach. Sign-up options are found below. This is a free subscription for those that live, work or go to school in Mason County.

05/12/2026

Blowing Dust Advisory for Mason County:..BLOWING DUST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Patchy blowing dust with localized visibility of one mile
or less expected. The blowing dust will occur near open
agricultural areas.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and west central
Illinois.

* WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Locally reduced visibility may lead to locally hazardous
driving conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Persons with respiratory problems should make preparations to stay
indoors until the storm passes. Be ready for a sudden drop in
visibility to near zero. If you encounter blowing dust or blowing
sand on the roadway or see it approaching, pull off the road as far
as possible and put your vehicle in park. Turn the lights all the
way off and keep foot off the brake pedal. Remember, 'Pull Aside,
Stay Alive'.

05/12/2026

Gusty winds exceeding 30 mph today and Wednesday may cause localized blowing dust, significantly reducing visibility. These impacts are most likely north of Interstate 70 and east of the Illinois River, but can occur anywhere agricultural fieldwork is active.
A notable warming trend is expected this weekend, coinciding with daily thunderstorm chances. Severe weather potential is trending upward for the period spanning Friday through Monday.

04/20/2026

Mason County farmers who may have sustained damage from the April 17th storms may want to reach out to your local FSA office for possible assistance.

Mason County FSA Office
930 E. Laurel Ave.
Havana, IL 62644
309-543-2582

04/20/2026

For any Mason County residents or property owners that may have sustained any damage from the Friday April 17th storm, The Illinois Emergency Management Agency-Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) are requesting that those affected complete the self-assessment survey and submit. A survey link may be found below:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/56bafe3b44854af192993d73a2201765?portalUrl=https://ilema.maps.arcgis.com

Thank you for your assistance in this survey.

04/13/2026

HAVANA – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that nightly lane closures on the Scott Lucas Memorial Bridge (U.S. 136 and Illinois 78/97) over the Illinois River at Havana begin April 13.

The lane closures will reduce the bridge to one lane, with traffic controlled by temporary signals, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night to prepare for a rehabilitation project that will begin May 1. This configuration will be in place until Sept. 1. The rehabilitation project involves deck patching, joint replacements, lighting upgrades and painting and is expected to be complete in fall 2027.

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.

For more information on IDOT projects, click here. For IDOT District 4 updates, follow us on Twitter at or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com

04/03/2026

Tornado Watch for Mason County extended until 11 pm

04/01/2026

**Tornado driven risk increase**

A severe weather risk upgrade has occurred for Thursday(April 2, 2026). The SPC has put much of central and northern IL into a tornado driven level 3 for severe weather.

This will come in the form of multiple waves, the first midday and the second in the evening. This is why timeframes are so large to account for both rounds.

Level 3 region: This region has a 10-14% potential of seeing a tornado in/near your town with a 30-44% chance of damaging winds and 15-29% risk of hail. The damaging winds could be up to 75MPH and a couple tornadoes may be strong. We expect initial storms midday after 12PM in the region with hail/wind as the main risk, a tornado possible. These will race east in the afternoon, timing is 12PM to 5PM. The next round will then be in the form of supercells in wester parts after 4PM and these will carry all hazards including a possible strong, long-track tornadoes. These will race east-northeast between 4PM and 9PM. Coverage of round 1 will be pretty numerous and evening coverage will be more isolated but intense. Many won't see the evening supercells, but those that do will be glad they knew.

Level 2 region: This region is mainly a hail/wind risk with a 15-29% chance of severe weather in/near your town. Midday storms will develop after 12PM and race east bringing the potential for some wind//Hail. Coverage will be scattered to numerous(40-60%). Evening storms will develop north and west then drop into this region after 6PM. Storms will lose some severity but may pose a wind/hail/isolated tornado risk through 9-10PM.

Level 1 region: This region will see scattered midday storms with some hail/wind potential. Severe probability is 5-14%. Timing is 12PM to 5PM for these. A second round may drop in after 7PM but this round will be weakening. We'll keep an eye on it.

We recommend everyone stays weather aware tomorrow and please monitor for updates.

03/26/2026

Mason County is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11 pm.