For Schools, Business, and Public Places National Weather Service Mission What Is 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

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 Nation’s Environmental Forecasting Needs

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 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

Why do we need StormReady? • 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.

StormReady Prepares Communities For…

•A Typical Year Brings

•6 Hurricanes •1270 Tornadoes •5000 Floods

•10,000 Violent •Drought •500 Deaths Thunderstorms Conditions •5000 Injuries •$14B in Losses Weather Impacts on Society

•NOAA - National Weather Service: Serving the Nation’s Environmental Forecasting Needs

NWS Science and Technology Advances •Then… •Now…

•NOAA - National Weather Service: Serving the Nation’s Environmental Forecasting Needs

Improved Tornado Warnings

20 18 •— Tornado Warning Lead Time 16 14 Lead Time(min.) nt 12 eme rov 10 •Imp 8 6 4 2 0 19 19 19 19 1 1 1 19941995199619971998199 200 200 200 20 20 20 20 20 20 991 992 993 87 88 89 90 03 04 05 06 07 08 9 0 1 2 Year

•NOAA's National Weather Service: Serving the Nation’s Environmental Forecasting Needs Improved Flash Flood Warnings

100 90 •— Flash Flood Warning Lead Time 80 70 t Lead Time(min.) en 60 vem ro 50 mp •I 40 30 20 10 0 19 19 19 19 1 1 1 19941995199619971998199 200 200 200 20 20 20 20 20 20 991 992 993 87 88 89 90 03 04 05 06 07 08 9 0 1 2 Year

•NOAA's National Weather Service: Serving the Nation’s Environmental Forecasting Needs

Over 1,400 StormReady/Tsunami Ready Communities

Light Blue dots – TsunamiReady communities Green dots - StormReady Indian Nations Blue dots - StormReady Communities Purple dots - StormReady Universities Red dots - StormReady Industrial Sites Brown dots - StormReady Military sites

StormReady Designations in Illinois and Indiana

Indiana 20 StormReady Designations: 19 Counties 1 Commercial 1 Supporter

Illinois 59 StormReady Designations: 14 Counties 43 Communities 2 Universities 3 Supporters 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 thethe StormReadyStormReady programprogram intointo theirtheir severesevere weather safety and awareness plans

StormReady Success Story Van Wert, Ohio F4 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

Van Wert County Tornado (Southwest of the City of Van Wert)

Video courtesy Randy Baker 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 Photos courtesy Paul Van Dyke tornado struck

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

How does an entity become a StormReady Supporter? 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

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

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 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.

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

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 StormReady Supporter Recognition Process • 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.

Successful Applicants Receive: • StormReady Certificate of Recognition letter from Chicago NWS Office Meteorologist in Charge • Authorization to use the StormReady logo • Listing on the National StormReady Website

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 Thank You!