StormReady – Archived EDEN Issue Page

This page contains information that was preserved in August 2017 when the EDEN website moved to this new system. The information here has not been, and will not be, updated. For more information on this topic, please use the EDEN Website Search function in the header. If you reached this page from a bookmark, please update that bookmark. NWS StormReady Project United States citizens live in the most severe weather-prone country on Earth. Each year, Americans cope with an average of 10,000 thunderstorms, 2,500 floods, 1,000 tornadoes, and an average of six deadly hurricanes. Such weather impacts every American. However, communities can now rely on the National Weather Service’s StormReady® program to help them guard against the ravages of Mother Nature. Ninety percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $14 billion in damage. StormReady, a program started in 1999 in Tulsa, OK, helps arm U.S. communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property– before and during the event. StormReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs. StormReady communities are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through better planning, education, and awareness. No community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives. How To Be StormReady In order for a community to become StormReady, they must: Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally 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. For more specific requirements on how to become StormReady for your community visit the N…