Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness About Us

About Us

The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) has been recognized as a 2023 Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence by the National Weather Service. We are proud of this accomplishment and believe educating Ohioans on the importance of severe weather awareness, preparedness, and safety is of the greatest important.

For the seventh year, NOAA and the National Weather Service are proud to recognize “Ambassadors of Excellence” -- a select number of WRN Ambassador organizations that have made significant contributions to building a Weather-Ready Nation.

By serving as change agents and leaders in their communities, Ambassadors of Excellence have:

• - Inspired others to take action and become ready, responsive, and resilient
• - Created innovative ways to engage their community, their workforce, and/or their social network
• - Formed unique collaborations with NOAA and/or other ambassador organizations to achieve goals they alone could not meet
• - Embraced building “a Weather-Ready Nation for All” by addressing vulnerable populations’ needs.

Since 1978, the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) has been dedicated in educating Ohioans about the natural disasters that typically affect the state, and encourage Ohio residents to plan and prepare for severe weather incidents before they happen.

The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness, in a coordinated effort with the Governor, promotes statewide severe weather safety campaigns twice a year: in the spring – usually during the third week of November, to promote winter storm safety and preparedness.

A statewide tornado drill is conducted on the Wednesday of Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week. County emergency management agencies test their outdoor warning sirens during the drill, and homes, schools and businesses are encouraged to practice their tornado drills and emergency plans.

The committee holds an annual poster contest geared towards elementary school students to encourage an interest in safety, preparedness, and severe weather awareness. The creativity of the artwork and the thought that goes into each submission is remarkable. This contest generated over 100 submissions in 2023 with an awards ceremony held to honor the winners.

It is the goal of the committee to inform residents of weather hazards that typically affect Ohio, and encourage families to plan ahead and know what to do during different weather and home emergencies; organize emergency preparedness kits; and practice safety drills to protect themselves from severe weather emergencies and home fires.

The Ohio Emergency Management Agency is proud to Chair this committee which consists of federal, state, and volunteer partners.