What is StormReady®? It is a National Weather Service program designed to recognize communities (e.g. counties, universities, military bases) that have reached a high level of severe weather preparedness. To be recognized as StormReady®, a community must meet criteria established jointly between the NWS and state and local emergency management officials. These criteria include:
- Establishing a local 24-hour warning point and an Emergency Operations Center
- Having multiple ways of receiving NWS warnings
- Creating a system to monitor local weather/river conditions
- Having multiple ways of alerting the public
- Promoting public readiness through community seminars and presentations
- Developing a formal hazardous weather plan
- Having trained spotters
- Conducting periodic drills / exercises
- Interacting with their local NWS office
The essence of the program is to ensure the entire warning system performs properly when severe weather strikes. The "system" is comprised of the NWS (which issues the warnings), local emergency management (which ensures the warnings get communicated), and you (who respond properly to the warnings). No community is storm proof, but StormReady® can help communities save lives.
Sites that aren’t necessarily designed to meet all of the StormReady® criteria (e.g. businesses, malls, hospitals, schools, etc) can show their support for weather safety by joining the StormReady® Supporter program.
If you are interested in becoming a StormReady® Community or Supporter, please contact Jason Beaman, the NWS Mobile Warning Coordination Meteorologist at 251-633-6443 ext. 223 or email jason.beaman@noaa.gov. For additional information, you can also visit: www.weather.gov/stormready.
Current NWS Mobile StormReady® Locations:
Stone County
MS
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Mobile County
AL
|
Baldwin County
AL
|
Monroe County
AL
|
Covington County
AL
|
University of South Alabama
|
Escambia County
FL
|
Santa Rosa County
FL
|
Okaloosa County
FL
|
Hurlburt Field
|
Naval Air Station
Whiting Field
|
Naval Air Station
Pensacola
|
University of
West Florida
|
Baptist Hospital Pensacola (Supporter)
|
Gulf Breeze Hospital (Supporter)
|
Choctaw County
AL
|
Clarke County
AL
|
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Latest Local StormReady® News:
Clarke County Becomes StormReady
Choctaw County Becomes StormReady