NOAA 2004-R249
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tracy Lake
5/11/04

 NOAA News Releases 2004
NOAA Home Page
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NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NAMES TOOELE ARMY DEPOT IN UTAH
AS THE FIRST MILITARY FACILITY IN NATION TO BECOME STORMREADY

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service (NWS) today recognized the Tooele Army Depot as the nation’s first StormReady military facility. During a presentation at the Salt Lake City Weather Forecast Office, representatives from NWS commended the Army Depot management and employees for their efforts to enhance hazardous weather operations at the facility. The Army Depot joins more than 720 locations in 47 states to earn the StormReady designation. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The StormReady program gives communities the skills and education needed to survive severe weather before and during the event. StormReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen their local hazardous weather operations by ensuring that they have the tools needed to receive life saving NWS warnings in the quickest time possible.

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service, made the presentation to Lt. Col. Karol Ripley, Tooele Army Depot commander.

“Without the StormReady program, many communities would not be prepared to handle severe weather,” said Johnson. “Approximately 90 percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather related. These weather-related disasters lead to nearly 500 deaths each year and nearly $14 billion in damage. StormReady helps equip America's communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property before and during the event.”

To be recognized as StormReady, a community must:

  • Conduct emergency exercises
  • Establish a 24-hour emergency operations center
  • Have more than one way to alert the public and disseminate severe weather forecasts and warnings
  • Create a system that monitors local weather conditions
  • Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars
  • Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters

“The StormReady program is a great approach that helped us shore up and develop systems and plans to handle local severe weather in any season, and strengthen our cooperative ties with the National Weather Service,” said Ripley. “We are excited to be recognized for our readiness capabilities and proud to be associated with the NWS as StormReady partners, and as the first StormReady facility in the Department of Defense.”

NOAA’s National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. The NWS operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping protect lives and property and enhance the national economy.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov

Tooele Army Depot: http://www.tead.army.mil/

Editor’s Note: StormReady images and more program information are available:
http://www.stormready.noaa.gov