Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness StormReady

National Weather Service

Working toward a Weather-Ready Nation

Being part of a Weather-Ready Nation is about preparing for your community’s increasing vulnerability to extreme weather and water events. More than 90 percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather-related. To help guard against the effects of severe weather the National Weather Service has designated the StormReady program, which provides a standard level of emergency preparedness for hazardous weather.

StormReady is a voluntary national program that encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing clear-cut guidelines for community leaders and emergency managers.

StormReady communities, counties, universities and colleges, military bases, government sites, commercial enterprises, tribal governments, and other groups are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education and awareness. No community is stormproof, but StormReady can help communities save lives.

To become StormReady, a community or group 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.

Ohio has a StormReady committee that consists of representatives from the National Weather Service, the Emergency Management Association of Ohio, and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. This committee processes all applications for StormReady designations within the state. Certification lasts for three years, then must be reviewed and approved for recertification.

How to Apply for StormReady:

• Contact your local National Weather Service office.
• Complete the StormReady Application Form and send it to your local NWS office.
• Schedule a Verification Visit. The Ohio StormReady committee will review the applicant’s hazardous weather plan to ensure it meets the StormReady Guidelines (see Appendix A). After the site visit, the verification team will forward a summary of the visit and other pertinent documentations to the Local Advisory Board for approval.

Ohio Map of StormReady Sites