StormReady, a voluntary program, is designed to help communities take a pro-active approach to severe weather by improving local hazardous weather operations and heightening public awareness. Communities work with the local National Weather Service office, state and local emergency managers to become “StormReady”.

The program was started by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Tulsa as an effort to educate residents about storm safety. It is now expanding nationwide with the emphasis to get as many communities as possible involved in the preparation and education of their community when severe weather strikes.

For a county or community to be recognized as “StormReady”, they must meet predetermined criteria as set by National, Regional, and Local StormReady Advisory Boards. The criteria includes such things as a 24-hour Warning Point and/or Emergency Operations Center, placing NOAA Weather Radios in all local government facilities, and maintaining NWS trained spotter networks.

The goal of achieving StormReady status is to increase the chances of local citizens surviving a tornado, hurricane, flash flood, tsunami, or whatever type of severe weather threatens their area of the country. “Obviously, tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are the primary focus of the Amarillo StormReady program,” said Steve Drillette, NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist. “We hope many panhandle communities will apply and work towards gaining StormReady recognition.” Once approved as StormReady, the NWS provides each community with two highway signs for display.

For additional information, or to request an application, call Steve Drillette at the Amarillo National Weather Service Forecast Office at 806-335-1121 or check our website at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/AMA