On Thursday, the City of West Plains announced the city has been recognized by the National Weather Service Forecast Office for the City’s StormReady Renewal Recognition through October 2027.
According to the StormReady Program of the National Weather Service, it uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of extreme weather-from tornadoes to winter storms. The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations.
To be officially StormReady, a community 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; and
– Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
Police Chief Stephen Monticelli stated he realizes no community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives.
The City of West Plains has been recognized since October 19, 2001 as a StrormReady Organization.
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