The nationwide community preparedness program uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather and flooding threats. The voluntary program provides communities with clear-cut advice from a partnership between local National Weather Service forecast offices and state and local emergency managers.
Every year, around 500 Americans lose their lives to severe weather and floods. More than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 2,500 floods and 1,000 tornadoes affect the United States annually. Potentially deadly weather can affect every person in the country. That’s why NOAA’s National Weather Service developed the StormReady program.
To be recognized as StormReady, a community must:
- Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
- Have redundant ways to receive 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.
The mission of the National Weather Service is to reduce the loss of life and property from these storms, and StormReady will help us create better prepared communities throughout the country.”
The StormReady program is part of the NOAA National Weather Service’s working partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers and the National Emergency Management Association.
