What you can learn from Scouts' tragedy

They had taken part in a mock emergency drill just a day before. They were prepared. They knew the storm was coming. They sought appropriate shelter.

Still, the tornado took the lives of four Boy Scouts in Iowa. It injured at least a dozen more. The good news is that the other Scouts -- there were 93 in all -- were ready to be put to the test as they used their first-aid training to help the injured, helped dig out the victims who were crushed by a collapsed chimney and removed debris from the roads so emergency vehicles could get through. Many of those survivors were praised as heroes.

The lesson for all of us in this tragedy is to remember the power of a tornado. And to take seriously the tornado watches and warnings that seem to come daily in this area during tornado season.

"They knew what to do, they knew where to go and they prepared well," said Lloyd Roitstein, an executive with the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts of America, in an Associated Press article about the Scouts caught by the Iowa tornado.

Could you say the same thing? If not, you need to do your homework. For your sake and perhaps your family's sake too.

According to the Ready Illinois Web site and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), make sure you have a family emergency plan and make sure everyone knows it. Establish a safe zone in your home and place of work (in the basement or internal room or hallway).

Keep track of the weather reports and keep track of the skies. Tornadoes can happen quickly and are most likely to occur between 3 and 9 p.m. Listen for sirens and act immediately by seeking appropriate shelter if you hear one. Stay in the shelter until the storm has passed.

For details on what to do, you can go to Ready Illinois at www.ready.illinois.gov. Gov. Rod Blagojevich late last month announced a campaign to increase public awareness of that Web site.

"We never know when disaster may strike, but we can take steps now to ensure we're ready to keep ourselves and our families safe whenever an emergency occurs," Blagojevich said. "The Ready Illinois Web site provides a wealth of information to help people before, during and after a disaster."

It's easy to get complacent. The IEMA says there is an average of 41 tornadoes per year in Illinois and many, many more severe thunderstorms, from which tornadoes can form. The state set a record of 124 tornadoes in 2006. While most occur between April 1 and June 30, just this year there was a tornado in early January.

But don't let complacency result in tragedy. Make a plan, practice it, and stay safe.