StormReady Communities Mitigate the Effects of Severe Weather

2011 left Americans with the aftermath of more than 90 federally declared disasters, 12 of which cost more than $1 billion, making it one of the worst meteorological years on record. Those numbers point out the need for communities to prepare for natural disasters and one way is to become a StormReady community.

StormReady, a program founded in Tulsa, Okla., in 1999, is a preparedness program that helps communities improve their safety operations by developing plans for how to handle severe weather. Sponsored by the National Weather Service (NWS), it recognizes communities that exhibit severe storm alertness. Through advanced planning and education, StormReady provides communities with the communication and safety skills needed to mitigate natural disasters before, during and after the event.

“A StormReady community is a community that has achieved a higher level of preparedness when it comes to all kinds of storms, as set forth by the National Weather Service and statewide emergency management,” said Dave Nicosia, the warning coordination meteorologist (WCM) of Binghamton, N.Y.

There are four steps to becoming a StormReady community. First, applicants must contact their local National Weather Service office to help the application process move smoothly. Second, a form must be filled out and sent to the local warning coordination meteorologist. A verification visit then will be arranged during which the verification team, composed of at least one NWS representative and one emergency manager, will review the applicant's hazardous weather plan. The applicant may be required to explain procedures to ensure that the plan meets StormReady guidelines.

 To be considered StormReady, a community must:

• establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
• have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and broadcast alerts the public;
• create a system that monitors local weather conditions;
• promote the importance of public alertness through community seminars; and
• develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

After the site visit, the verification team will forward its site visit summaries to the local advisory board, which oversees all steps taken for recognition of a StormReady community, including strengthening the national guidelines for the local area and determining procedures for application review. Once the community receives local advisory board approval, it may have a recognition ceremony where the meteorologist will present the community with approval, two signs and recognition stickers.

According to the NWS, as of Feb. 1 there were 1,868 StormReady communities in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Raymond O’Keefe, meteorologist in charge of Albany, N.Y.’s National Weather Service Forecast Office, said many communities across the country find their residents and property threatened every time a weather-related emergency occurs. He said 90 percent of the presidentially declared disasters are weather related and anything that can be done to mitigate that is a step in the right direction. “Whether it’s a tsunami or hurricane or winter storm, we want communities to be prepared to deal with that so we can reduce the impact of these events on society.”