Bureau County EMA

05/14/2026

Bureau County will see chances for severe weather from now through next Monday. We are under a Level 1/5 risk for severe thunderstorms both tomorrow and Saturday. Stay weather aware and have multiple ways to receive emergency alerts (local TV / radio, NOAA weather radio, and our emergency notification system are all great ways to get warnings) as we move into the weekend. Click the link below to sign up for our emergency notification service.

https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=bureaucountyema

05/14/2026

In addition to housing the Coroner's office, BCEMA plans to have its offices, warehouse, and an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located within this facility. We do not currently have an EOC within the county, and rely on the generosity of our partners at the Putnam County Illinois Emergency Management Agency for EOC facilities. Having an EOC in Princeton will centralize disaster response operations county-wide, increase participation of local officials in emergency planning and disaster management, and streamline our operations by having all our resources under one roof. Our staff and volunteers are grateful to the members of the Bureau County Board for this opportunity to modernize our operations and expand our capabilities.

In December, the Bureau County Board approved the purchase of a building at on Bureau Valley Parkway in Princeton, just south of the Princeton Public Library, to house Emergency Management

05/14/2026

Here is a daily breakdown of severe weather risk, and general timing. Tonight and Friday night, we're looking at a marginal, level 1 of 5 risk for mainly hail in storms, while over the weekend into early next week, a Slight, or level 2 of 5 risk is currently forecast.

05/14/2026

The weather pattern is set to turn more active late this week through early next week with periodic showers and storms. Some of the storms may become severe at times. Still plenty of uncertainty on the main hazards, timing and location of the greater severe threat in the days ahead, so please stay tuned for updates!

05/11/2026

Don’t Forget the Weather Safety, Weather Spotting, and Carbon Dioxide Safety Class this Wednesday, May 13th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at our Office located at 1120 Old Highway 26 in Hennepin.

05/11/2026

A pleasant start to the week with near-average highs and lows plus plenty of sunshine. Tuesday throws a wrench into things with gusty conditions and isolated showers and thunderstorms. Conditions return to Spring-like on Wednesday with mostly sunny skies.

05/09/2026

Graduation parties and spring celebrations are in full swing, and we are right there cheering with you! Just a friendly reminder from your neighbors at Ameren to keep a close eye on Mylar balloons.

When these metallic balloons get loose and hit power lines, they can knock out power for entire neighborhoods. Since 2021, Ameren has responded to more than 170 balloon-related outages, so keep them weighted down and indoors, and let the good times roll safely.

If you see a Mylar balloon entangled in electric infrastructure, always assume the line is live and do not attempt to remove it yourself. Instead, call us at 800.755.5000, and we'll dispatch a crew to safely handle the situation.

05/08/2026

Besides some light showers south of Highway 34 on Friday and Saturday night, Mother’s Day Weekend will be a dry one with partly sunny skies and seasonable highs and lows. Perfect weather to spend outside and enjoy the May flowers!

05/07/2026

After a chilly start today, we'll see a warm-up commence over the next few days with temps peaking in the 70s to around 80 on Saturday. Periodic shower chances will also accompany the warm-up. Sunday's weather is shaping up to be pretty decent to celebrate Mom!

05/07/2026

We'll have a chance for showers today through early this evening. A few rumbles of thunder are possible. Strong winds to 50 mph are also possible in/near showers, which could lead to brief periods of low visibility in blowing dust from recently tilled fields.

05/06/2026

A couple of chilly nights are ahead of us, with the potential for some frost in areas north of I-80, especially Wed Night. Otherwise, cooler temps will be in place through midweek, with a gradual warming towards the end of the week. Light rain chances return Friday.