National Weather Service Declares Mahaska County StormReady
Jamey Robinson (right) discusses a recent tornado drill with Eddyville-Blakesburg Elementary staff
Officials from NOAA’s National Weather Service will recognize Mahaska County on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 for completing a set of rigorous criteria necessary to earn the distinction of being StormReady®. Mahaska County is one of 29 StormReady communities in the state of Iowa, and one of more than 1700 StormReady communities in the U.S.
“StormReady encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations and public awareness,” said Jeff Johnson, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Des Moines. “StormReady arms communities, and in this case Mahaska County, with improved communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property – before and during the event.”
The program is voluntary and provides communities and colleges with clear-cut advice from a partnership between local National Weather Service forecast offices and state and local emergency managers. To be recognized as StormReady, a community or college must:
- Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
- Have more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings and to alert the public
- Create a system that monitors local weather conditions
- Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars;
- Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
Des Moines National Weather Service Meteorologist-in-Charge Brenda Brock and Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jeff Johnson will present Mahaska County Emergency Management Coordinator Jamey Robinson with a recognition plaque and special StormReady sign. The StormReady Dedication is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 7:00 PM just before the Mahaska County spotter training session. The presentation and training will be held at the Iowa State University Extension Office in Oskaloosa. The training is free of charge and open to the public on a first come, first served basis. No pre-registration is required.
NOAA and the National Weather Service are dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources.
Source: National Weather Service
