Franklin Co. EMA helps central IL tornado victims

WEST FRANKFORT, IL (KFVS) - The Franklin County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) got a call to help report the amount of damage caused by recent tornadoes in central Illinois.

This is because they are part of the States Emergency Management Assistance Team and one of only two emergency agencies in the state to have a mobile operations center.

There were a reported 500 homes damaged in the event and 26 people were sent to the hospital.

Franklin County’s Emergency Management Agency Director Ryan Buckingham said that many people tend to think of summer as the time for such events but he says people should always be prepared.

“One of the biggest problems we come into is when you lose your home you lose all the things that you need to sustain life,” he said. " So making sure that you have provisions in place beforehand and how to communicate and how to respond when a disaster happens is key."

Copyright 2018 KFVS. All rights reserved.