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NOAA’s Weather-Ready Nation is about building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather and water events.  Building this Weather-Ready Nation requires the action of a vast network of partners including other government agencies, emergency managers, researchers, the media, insurance industry, non-profits, the private sector, the Weather Enterprise and more.

Acting locally, the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Jackson works closely with a strong network of partners before, during and after severe weather strikes.  Programs are in place to foster these relationships, document the work being done by preparedness officials and recognize those officials and jurisdictions for their severe weather preparedness achievements.

Is your organization interested in developing a partnership with the National Weather Service?  If so, become a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador today!

Find out more information on local partnerships and programs by clicking the tabs below.

Recent Partner News:

East Kentucky's Inaugural Severe Weather Awareness Day

In concurrence with Severe Weather Awareness Week across Kentucky, NWS Jackson organized the first ever Severe Weather Awareness Day in eastern Kentucky. The event took place on Saturday, March 7, 2020, concluding the week’s awareness activities.   Read more...

2019 Eastern KY Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence - Powell County Emergency Management

Steve Asbury, Powell County Emergency Management Director, is at the forefront of advocating the Weather-Ready Nation initiative by participating in multiple office exercises where he brings his emergency management expertise to the table. He participated in a nationally recognized workshop in Norman, OK, as part of the Hazardous Weather Testbed, where participants looked at new ways to communicate hazard risk and provided constructive feedback to developers.   Read more...

Amateur Radio Operator & Avid SKYWARN Spotter Awarded as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence

Joe Warren, Official Emergency Stations Appointee of Kentucky ARES District 9 and active member of Southeast Kentucky SKYWARN, advocates the spirit of the Weather-Ready Nation initiative by advertising SKYWARN spotter training through amateur radio nets performed twice per week. He also uses this platform to promote the potential for severe weather hazards through the use of NWS forecasts and weather graphics.   Read more...

SKYWARN Spotter & East Kentucky VOST Leader Receives Special Service Award

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Jackson, KY recognized SKYWARN Spotter and East Kentucky Virtual Operations Support Team (VOST) Leader, Tim Bruno, with a Special Service Award on October 9, 2018 for his dedication to providing timely and reliable reports during all weather phenomena impacting eastern Kentucky.   Read more...

Bath County Emergency Management Recognized as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence

The National Weather Service office in Jackson, KY recognized Bath County Emergency Management with a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence award at a brief ceremony at the Bath County Courthouse in Owingsville on Monday October 2, 2017.   Read more...

NWS Meteorologists and Partner Agencies Train Together in Severe Weather Briefing Exercise

NWS Jackson meteorologists trained with several partner agencies during a Severe Weather Briefing Exercise held on Friday April 21st. The goal of the exercise was to better understand the impact of our forecasts on partner agency decision making leading up to a potential severe weather event and improve our ability to communicate actionable and decision-relevant information to our partners.  Read more...

Oneida Baptist Institute, a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, creates Emergency Preparedness and Response Team

The school has also taken a hands-on approach to preparing it's students for emergencies by starting the Oneida Baptist Institute Emergency Preparedness and Response Team.   Read more...

KY Mountains Amateur Radio Club receives Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador recognition

NOAA/NWS formally recognized KY Mountains Amateur Radio Club for significant contributions to building a Weather-Ready Nation during National Preparedness Month in September.  Read more...

Turn Around Don't Drown signs being installed in five east Kentucky counties

"Turn around, don't drown". That flood safety warning will be seen on bright yellow signs around several Eastern Kentucky counties, thanks to a cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and local Emergency Management.  Read more...

NWS Public Service Awards given to valued amateur radio partners

On January 22-23, 2016 a major winter storm brought a swath of heavy snow to the heart of eastern Kentucky. During this storm local amateur radio clubs and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) played a critical role in communicating essential information to the National Weather Service.   Read more...

WYMT-TV recognized as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador!

The National Weather Service in Jackson, KY recognizes WYMT-TV in Hazard as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, commending the station for it's committment to community weather preparedness and education.  Read more...

Bath County Kentucky becomes StormReady

Bath County, Kentucky was designated as the 47th StormReady® County in the Commonwealth of Kentucky during a ceremony attended by U.S. Representative Andy Barr (KY 6th District) at the Bath County Courthouse in Owingsville on Wednesday, April 6th, 2016.  Read more...

Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College becomes StormReady Supporter

All five campuses of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC) were recognized as National Weather Service StormReady® Supporters during a brief ceremony on Friday, February 26, 2016.  SKCTC is the first community college in the state to have all of their campuses recognized as StormReady® Supporters!   Read more...

NWS Jackson Trains with Our Partners During Winter Season Training Day

On November 19, 2015, a group of NWS Jackson, KY's core partners visited our office to help our forecasters train for the upcoming winter season.  The exercise allowed our forecasters to interact and learn from those who depend on the forecasts to make their decisions.   Read more...

NWS Jackson Meets With USFS Rangers At The Red River Gorge

On June 10, 2015, several members of the NWS Jackson Weather Service Office visited the US Forest Service at the Red River Gorge and met with two of the rangers. The goal of this visit was to better understand the flash flooding problems they face, mainly along Indian Creek.   Read more...

East Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee Meeting held at WYMT Studios

On Wednesday April 22, 2015, the East Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee met at the WYMT studios in Hazard, KY.  WYMT's Brandon Robinson, a KWPC-East member, gave committee members a tour of the WYMT facilities and demonstrated how the weather team puts together a weather broadcast.   Read more...

Harlan Health & Rehabilitation becomes StormReady® Supporter

The Harlan Health and Rehabilitation was recognized as a National Weather Service StormReady® Supporter on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. The StormReady® Supporter program recognizes organizations for their severe weather preparedness efforts.  Read more...

Christian Appalachian Project Recognized as a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador

NWS Jackson, KY would like to highlight some of the great work one of our most recent Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors, Christian Appalachain Project (CAP) has been been doing.  CAP provides immediate assistance to Appalachian areas sustaining damage from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other major catastrophes.   Read more...

Magoffin County Officials Hardin and Wilson Named NOAA StormReady Heroes

NOAA honored Magoffin County Judge Executive Charles “Doc” Hardin and Emergency Management Director Mike Wilson with the StormReady® Community Hero award for their efforts to save lives during a tornado that hit Salyersville on March 2, 2012.   Read more...

 

NWS Jackson, KY recognizes that we have a special mission responsibility to our core partners, including the emergency management community and other local, state and federal government agencies, to provide Impact-Based Decision Support Services leading up to, during and following high-impact events.  

Our Decision Support Services begin with severe weather preparedness and education through outreach activities and internal and external training and exercises.  This includes involvement in local, state and federal exercises and simulations. 

When public safety in the event of hazardous weather is a concern, NWS Jackson, KY personnel will provide Decision Support Services at the request of Emergency Management and government core partners.  This support can include:

  • Direct, interactive support to ensure safety and protection of property, provided on-site or remotely. 
  • Coordination activities supporting high impact events.  This can include predecision conference calls with the primary purpose of enhancing weather situational awareness..
  • Assistance with the routine provision of NWS data and products including alerts of hazardous weather conditions that are provided uniformly to everyone.

Finally, after the conclusion of the event, NWS Jackson, KY will review our performance and actions taken in a collaborative fashion, with other members of the East Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee and/or entities directly involved with or affected by the event, and revise action plans accordingly.

To request Decision Support Services, please fill out the request form below.

StormReady Program 

The StormReady program helps arm east Kentucky communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property--before, during and after the event. StormReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs and StormReady communities, counties, universities, military bases, indian nations, commerical enterprises and other groups are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education and awareness.  No community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives.

For more information on the StormReady program for east Kentucky, contact us at 606-666-2560 or email w-jkl.webmaster@noaa.gov.

StormReady Sites in Kentucky (click on the map for complete listing of sites)

 

Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors

The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador initiative is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) effort to formally recognize NOAA partners who are improving the nation’s readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience against extreme weather, water, and climate events.  Any organization across all levels of government, businesses large and small, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, and academia can become a WRN Ambassador.

As a WRN Ambassador, the National Weather Service will formally recognize your organization.  You will be able to prominently display the WRN Ambassador logo and use your local NWS office as a resource to enhance your weather safety plans.  Periodic emails to WRN Ambassadors will provide information such as links to newly posted outreach material on relevant hazards, content you can use for social media posts, organizational newsletters and websites, as well as updates on new NOAA products, services, and/or data

For more information and to apply to become a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador, click here.

Current WRN Ambassadors in East Kentucky

WRVK 1460 AM
Mt. Vernon
London-Corbin Airport
Magee Field
Tri-County Abuse Council
for Elders (TRACE)
KY Dept of Public Health
Regions 12/13
Lake Cumberland Regional Airport Morehead Rowan County
Clyde A. Thomas Regional Airport
Wayne County Airport Pulaski County Emergency Management
Menifee County Emergency Management Morgan County Emergency Management Knox County Emergency Management Salyersville Emergency Management
Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum Renfro Valley Entertainment Center Oneida Baptist Institute KYTC Dept of Highways District 11
       
Kentucky Mountains Amateur Radio Club WYMT-TV Bath County Emergency Management Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
Christian Appalachian Project KYTC Dept of Highways District 10 Middlefork Volunteer Fire Department & Powell County SKYWARN Network East Kentucky Broadcasting
  • AirEvac Lifeteam
  • Bath County Emergency Management
  • Bell County Emergency Management
  • Big Sandy RECC
  • Big Sandy Regional Airport
  • Breathitt County Conservation District
  • Breathitt County Cooperative Extension Service
  • Breathitt County Emergency Management
  • Christian Appalachian Project
  • City of Somerset
  • Clay County Emergency Management
  • East Kentucky Science Center & Planetarium
  • East Kentucky Weather Amateur Radio Network (EastKYWARN)
  • East Ridge High School, Pike County, KY
  • Elliott County Emergency Management
  • Estill County Emergency Management
  • Fleming County Emergency Management
  • Floyd County Emergency Management
  • Gateway District Health Department
  • Harlan County Emergency Management
  • Hazard Fire Department
  • Hospital Preparedness Program for HCC Regions 7, 8, 9
  • Jackson County Emergency Management
  • Jackson County High School Weather Team
  • Kentucky Department for Public Health Region 8/9
  • Kentucky Department for Public Health Region 10
  • Kentucky Department for Public Health Region 11
  • Kentucky Department for Public Health Region 12
  • Kentucky Department for Public Health Region 13
  • Kentucky District 9 Amateur Radio Emergency Service (Laurel County)
  • Kentucky Division of Forestry - Southeast Region
  • Kentucky Mountains Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
  • Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Knott County Emergency Management
  • Knott County Health & Rehabilitation Center
  • Knox County Emergency Management
  • KY Silver Jackets
  • KYTC Department of Highways District 10
  • KYTC Department of Highways District 11
  • Lake Cumberland Regional Airport
  • Lakefront Church of God (Magoffin County)
  • Laurel County Emergency Management
  • Lee County Emergency Management
  • Leslie County Emergency Management
  • Letcher County Emergency Management
  • London-Corbin Airport Magee Field
  • Magoffin County Emergency Management
  • Martin County Emergency Management
  • McCreary Central High School
  • McCreary County Emergency Management
  • Menifee County Emergency Management
  • Menifee County Senior Center
  • Middle Creek Volunteer Fire Department (Floyd County)
  • Middlefork Volunteer Fire Department
  • Montgomery County Emergency Management
  • Morehead Rowan County Clyde A. Thomas Regional Airport
  • Morehead State University
  • Morgan Central Elementary School
  • Morgan County Emergency Management
  • Mountain Top Media
  • Oneida Baptist Institute
  • Paintsville Amateur Radio Community Services
  • Paintsville/Johnson County Emergency Management
  • Perry County Emergency Management
  • Pike County Emergency Management
  • Powell County Emergency Management
  • Powell County SKYWARN Network
  • Pulaski County Emergency Management
  • Region 7 Healthcare Coalition
  • Region 8 Healthcare Coalition
  • Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
  • Rockcastle County Emergency Management
  • Route 504 Volunteer Fire Rescue Department (Elliott County)
  • Rowan County Emergency Management
  • Rowan County Cooperative Extension Service
  • Salyersville Emergency Management
  • Salyersville Fire Department
  • Science Fun Inc (Elliott County)
  • Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
  • Stanton Fire Department
  • Tri-County Abuse Council for Elders (TRACE) (Whitley County)
  • Union College
  • Wayne County Airport
  • Wayne County Emergency Management
  • Wheelwright Fire Department (Floyd County)
  • Whitley County Emergency Management
  • WKYM-WFLW Radio Monticello
  • WMDJ Radio (Floyd County)
  • Wolfe County Emergency Management
  • WRVK 1460 AM (Rockcastle County)
  • WTVQ ABC 36 - Lexington
  • WYMT-TV

Click here for a complete listing of Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors

 

Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee - East 

The Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee (KWPC) is made up of emergency management officials, the National Weather Service, broadcast media, private sector companies, volunteer organizations and other government agencies and has the mission of promoting, educating and increasing weather awareness across the Commonweath. 
 
NWS Jackson, KY is a member of KWPC-East, a regional subcommittee of the statewide KWPC.  The subcommittee also serves as an Integrated Warning Team in which committee members work to foster improved communication, relationships, and planning for future severe weather events.  KWPC-East committee members include representatives from:
  • NWS Charleston, WV
  • WYMT-TV
  • Pike County Emergency Management
  • Paintsville/Johnson County Emergency Management
  • Powell County Emergency Management
  • Bath County Emergency Management
  • Boyd County Emergency Management
  • Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 10
  • Prestonsburg Fire Department
  • Floyd County Emergency & Rescue Squad
  • Kentucky State Police
  • Kentucky Emergency Management Region 7
  • Kentucky Emergency Management Region 8
  • American Red Cross
  • Kentucky Department of Public Health Regions 10, 11, 12, & 13
  • Kentucky Healthcare Coalition Region 8
  • Christian Appalachian Project
  • Big Sandy RECC
  • Kentucky Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) District 9
  • Hazard Fire Department
  • Bath County Schools
  • Floyd County Schools
  • Letcher County Schools
  • McCreary County Schools