For Schools, Business, and Public Places

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• StormReady

• For Schools, Business, and Public Places

Edward Fenelon, Meteorologist in Charge NOAA -
National Weather Service Chicago, IL DuPage
County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Management Advanced Severe Weather Seminar
Friday, March 13, 2009
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National Weather Service Mission

• Provide weather, river, and climate forecasts and
  warnings to protect life and property and enhance
  the economy
• 76 billion observations
• 1.5 million forecasts
• 50,000 warnings

• NOAA - National Weather Service Serving the
  Nations Environmental Forecasting Needs

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What is StormReady?

• StormReady is a grass roots program that
  focuses on improving communication and severe
  weather preparedness in communities, businesses,
  schools, hospitals, shopping centers
• StormReady helps community leaders strengthen
  local safety programs
• StormReady prepares communities for severe
  weather - from tornadoes to flash floods to
  severe winter storms
• StormReady provides community leaders with
  detailed and clear guidance on how to improve
  their hazardous weather warning and weather
  preparedness programs

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StormReady Incentives

• Improves the timeliness and effectiveness of
  hazardous weather warnings reaching people at
  risk
• Ensures tornado shelter areas are designated and
  marked
• Helps justify costs of hazardous weather-related
  programs
• Rewards local hazardous-weather mitigation
  programs that have achieved a desired performance
  level
• Provides an image incentive to the community
• Encourages surrounding communities to enhance
  their hazardous weather preparedness programs

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Why do we needStormReady?

• Approximately 90 of all Presidentially declared
  disasters are weather related
• More Than 500 Americans Die Each Year in Weather
  and Flood-Related Events
• More Than 5,000 are Injured
• Severe weather causes nearly 14 Billion in
  property damage each year

Cite National Center for Atmospheric
Research (NCAR), Environmental and Societal
Impacts Group, and the Atmospheric Policy Program
of the American Meteorological Society, 2001,
Extreme Weather Sourcebook 2001 Economic and
Other Societal Impacts Related to Hurricanes,
Floods, Tornadoes, Lightning, and Other U.S.
Weather Phenomena, National Center for
Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.
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StormReady Prepares Communities For

• A Typical Year Brings

• 6 Hurricanes

• 1270 Tornadoes

• 5000 Floods

• 10,000 Violent
• Thunderstorms

• Drought
• Conditions

• 500 Deaths
• 5000 Injuries
• 14B in Losses

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Weather Impacts on Society
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NWS Science and Technology Advances

• Then

• Now

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Improved Tornado Warnings

• Tornado Warning Lead Time

• Improvement

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Improved Flash Flood Warnings

• Flash Flood Warning Lead Time

• Improvement

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Over 1,400 StormReady/Tsunami Ready Communities
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StormReady Designations in Illinois and Indiana

• Indiana20 StormReady Designations
• 19 Counties
• 1 Commercial
• 1 Supporter

Illinois59 StormReady Designations 14
Counties 43 Communities 2 Universities 3
Supporters
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StormReady Community and StormReady Supporter
Defined

• Communities include counties, cities, towns,
  universities, Indian Nations, U.S. Territories,
  and other government and private entities
• Guidelines and requirements based on population,
  formal application submitted to StormReady board
• Supporters include businesses, schools,
  hospitals, shopping centers/malls, event venues,
  and event organizers
• Entities promote the principles and guidelines of
  the StormReady program into their severe weather
  safety and awareness plans

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StormReady Success StoryVan Wert, OhioF4
Tornado - 11/10/02

• November 10th, 2002 - F4 Tornado rips a 53 mile
  long path of destruction in Ohio from
  southwestern Van Wert County into Henry County

• In Van Wert County, the tornado claimed 2 lives
  and injured 17
• Prompt action by those paying attention to the
  weather and receiving the tornado warning
  prevented a greater loss of life

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Van Wert County Tornado (Southwest of the City
of Van Wert)
Video courtesy Randy Baker
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Van Wert Cinemas November 2002

• The benefits of being StormReady were illustrated
  at the Van Wert Cinemas, where a tornado warning
  was broadcast live over a local warning alert
  system

• Theater management responded by moving over 50
  adults and children to a more secure portion of
  the theater, just minutes before the tornado
  struck

Photos courtesy Paul Van Dyke
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Van Wert Cinemas November 2002

• While the November 10-11 tornado outbreak killed
  35 people, there were no fatalities within the
  theater

Van Wert County, Ohio, earned StormReady
designation just 10 months before the tornado
struck
Photos courtesy Paul Van Dyke
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How does an entity become a StormReady Supporter?
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Guideline 1 Communications and Coordination
Center

• Established Warning Point with presence for all
  hours facility is staffed/operational
• Warning reception capability
• Warning dissemination capability
• Ability and authority to activate local warning
  system(s)
• Ability to relay real-time storm reports
• to NWS forecast office and emergency
• management

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Guideline 2 NWS Warning Reception

• Warning points need multiple ways to receive NWS
  warnings
• REQUIRED NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receiver
  with tone alert. Specific Area Message Encoding
  is preferred.
• REQUIRED At least one other method
• Emergency Management Weather Information Network
  (EMWIN) receiver Satellite feed and/or VHF
  radio transmission of NWS products
• Wireless Devices From a provider not directly
  tied to a local system such as EMWIN
• Television Local network or cable TV
• Local Radio (Emergency Alert System - LP1/LP2)
• Other For example, active participation in a
  state-run warning network

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Guideline 3 Weather Monitoring

• Means of monitoring/gathering weather
  information, especially radar data
• Internet
• Television/Cable TV/Radio
• Emergency Management
• Weather Information
• Network (EMWIN)
• Local systems for
• monitoring weather such
• as a weather station

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Guideline 4 Warning Dissemination

• Once NWS warnings are received, or local
  information suggests an imminent weather threat,
  the local warning point must communicate with all
  occupants of the facility/venue
• At least one means of ensuring timely
  notification of weather warning to the people at
  the facility/venue must be in place
• Pager, wireless device
• Pop-up message on facility computer network
• Intercom, alarm, sign boards, flashing lights,
  etc.

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Guideline 5 Facility Preparedness

• Public education is vital to ensure proper
  staff/student response to weather hazards
• Stormready supporter requirements
• Conduct or facilitate safety talks for staff,
  students, etc.
• Have trained storm spotters at facility (attended
  NWS storm spotter training sessions at least
  every other year)
• Designated tornado shelter areas at the facility,
  clearly marked

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Guideline 6 Administrative

• Approved hazardous weather action plans must be
  in place. These plans will need to address, at a
  minimum, the following
• Hazards/risk assessment
• Warning-point activation criteria/procedures
  relating to natural hazards
• Storm spotter activation criteria and reporting
  procedures
• Storm spotter roster and training record
• Criteria and procedures for activation of local
  warning systems
• Annual exercises relating to natural hazard

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StormReady Supporter RecognitionProcess

• Application Submitted to Chicago NWS Forecast
  Office
• On-line application available at -
  http//www.stormready.noaa.gov/apply.htm
• Electronic versions which can be printed also
  available
• Northern Illinois/Northwest Indiana StormReady
  Advisory Board reviews application, contacts you
  if there are specific concerns or deficiencies
  noted
• StormReady Advisory Board team performs on-site
  visit (NWS rep and local EM rep) to review plans
  and confirm other information in application.
  Makes recommendation to Board.
• SRA Board either approves recognition or contacts
  you regarding additional needs/requirements.

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Successful ApplicantsReceive

• StormReady Certificate of Recognition letter from
  Chicago NWS Office Meteorologist in Charge, valid
  for 3 years
• Subsequent renewals will be granted based on
  re-endorsement by local emergency management
  officials
• Renewals indefinite with
• 1) EM endorsement
• 2) uphold principles of the StormReady Program
• Upon renewal, recognized entities shall receive
  an updated certificate
• Authorization to use the StormReady logo
• Listing on the National StormReady Website

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NWS StormReady Web Page

• StormReady Homepage Welcome/introduction to the
  program
• Communities National map of StormReady
  communities
• How To Apply The basics, guidelines,
  application process, and contact information
• Supporters Information about the StormReady
  "Supporter" program
• Awareness - Preparedness and safety information
• Publications Photos FAQs All the resources
• Severe Weather in My Community Hazards
  information
• Customer Comments What Emergency Managers and
  other users have to say about the benefits of
  becoming StormReady

www.stormready.noaa.gov
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Thank You!
www.weather.gov/chicago Edward.Fenelon_at_noaa.gov