When severe weather hits, the National Weather Service relies on everyday people to keep us informed. Now they say someone is giving false information and that could be putting you at risk.
The National Weather Service office in Lincoln has received more than a dozen bogus weather tips through their online submission site in the last two months.
In the event of bad weather, there are hundreds of trained weather spotters who head out to help track down storms and keep you safe.
The National Weather Service says now several of them are following bogus tips and maybe missing a real threat, making for a dangerous situation.
"It's similar to pulling a fire alarm or calling 911 when there really is no emergency going on," says NWS Warning Communications Meteorologist, Chris Miller.
Rick Atterberry with the Champaign EMA says whenever a severe weather tip is given, they have to take it seriously and be ready to act at a moments notice.
"When a tornado warning is issued here locally a lot starts happening," says Atterberry. "Prisoners are moved to a safer location, hospital patients are moved, school kids get moved, and movies get interrupted."
He says their spotters are all volunteers, leaving their jobs and families to check out a threat that could be made up.
Miller emphasized that no warnings were ever issued based on the false information.
He says right now they don't know the identity of the person sending the information but the FBI is investigating.
Giving false information to a government agency is a serious federal crime, punishable by up to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine.
