Champaign County Emergency Management Agency

10/20/2026

🚨 AREA FIRST RESPONDERS: JOIN US FOR A FREE AUTISM FOCUSED TRAINING! 🚨

The Champaign County Emergency Management Agency is excited to host Michelle Clements-Pitstick, Director of Clark County Emergency Management and a parent of a child with autism, for Autism Training: A Guide for First Responders.

This FREE training is designed to help first responders better understand autism, recognize sensory processing challenges, improve communication, and develop strategies for safer, more effective interactions with individuals with autism and their families.

📚 Training topics include:
- Blue Envelope Program
- Joshua’s Law
- Understanding autism and sensory processing challenges
- Verbal and nonverbal communication strategies
- Missing persons considerations
- Common behavioral misinterpretations
- The impact of autism on individuals and their families

👮‍♂️🚒🚑 Who should attend? Law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatchers, and other public safety professionals. 🚑 🚒 👮‍♂️

📅 Date: February 24, 2027
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: 1512 S US Highway 68, Urbana, OH 43078 (Auditorium)

The goal is simple:

Better Understanding. Safer Outcomes. Stronger Communities.

Every interaction is an opportunity to make a difference. By improving our understanding of autism, we can better serve the individuals, families, and communities who rely on us during their most critical moments.

📢 Please share this post with your agency and fellow first responders! Let’s work together to build awareness, strengthen our response, and make a positive impact across Champaign County and beyond.

We hope to see you there!!

10/07/2026

10/06/2026

DISASTER: A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration was approved for some counties late last week. Seven of the 23 counties submitted for this declaration were approved. This was sent for approval from severe storms in mid to late August that brought flash flooding and 17 tornadoes. Federal assistance programs are now available for those who have approval in the 7 counties so far.

As for when the other counties will be given approval...there is no immediate timeline on this. Preliminary damage assessments from around the state showed over 1200 homes and businesses were impacted between August 10th and August 23rd.

- 8:00 PM 10/5/26

09/30/2026

09/18/2026

🚨 🚨 UPDATE: FOUND SAFE 🚨 🚨

Please see the attached press release from Urbana Police Department

09/13/2026

[5:50 AM] Showers and storms will develop this afternoon, and a few strong to severe storms will be possible.

09/13/2026

THIS AFTERNOON: Timing will be key to see if we can get a couple stronger storms to develop locally. The question is do storms develop over us or as they exit and approach I-71? We will have to see what plays out. The best chance for storms will be from 4pm-8pm in our area.

If a few storms can organize there may be an isolated strong to severe storm with damaging winds as the main threat. This is with a cold front that brings SHARPLY cooler temperatures relatively speaking for Monday. - 8:00 AM 9/13/26

09/09/2026

7:18 PM ET 9/9/26: Thunderstorms are developing near the cold front across far eastern Indiana into western and central Ohio this evening. A few storms may produce strong to severe wind gusts before sunset, with damaging gusts possible around 55–70 mph. The threat should be brief and isolated, so a watch is unlikely (20% chance).

Nothing too shocking here. Storms are struggling to get to severe limits this evening and in most cases that should continue. Any storms that turn strong would happen before midnight the way it looks.