(Peoria, IL)  --  The American Red Cross is putting a tornado alert into the palm of people's hands.  Officials with the Red Cross say that the application is practical, especially since central Illinois is prone to tornadoes.  The free application can be downloaded onto any smart phone or tablet.  Red Cross officials say that taking a few minutes to download the free app could just save your life.  The launch of the application coincides with National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.