NOAA’S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DECLARES DISNEYLAND RESORT STORMREADY

Officials from NOAA’s National Weather Service have declared Disneyland Resort in California as a StormReady community. Along with the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the Disneyland Resort joins more than 1,070 StormReady communities throughout the United States and is one of 18 such communities in California.

“More than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 2,500 floods and 1,000 tornadoes affect the United States annually, with high winds, heavy rain, flooding and thunderstorms likely to affect the southern California region,” said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of the National Weather Service. “The National Weather Service developed the StormReady program to help protect every American from such hazardous weather.”

The nationwide community preparedness program uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather and flooding threats. The voluntary program provides communities with clear-cut advice from their local National Weather Service forecast office and state and local emergency managers. The StormReady program began in 1999 with seven communities in the Tulsa, Okla., area.

“StormReady encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improve local hazardous weather operations and public awareness," said Vickie Nadolski, director of the National Weather Service western region. “In partnership with a local National Weather Service forecast office, StormReady helps communities improve communications and safety resources needed to save lives – before, during and after a weather event.”

Located on 500 acres in Anaheim, Calif., the Disneyland Resort opened in 1955 and has become a multifaceted, world-class family resort with three hotels, two theme parks and the shopping and dining complex known as Downtown Disney. The resort has its own emergency operations center with 24-hour warning capabilities. “When protecting our guests and cast members, it’s all about preparedness and partnerships with government agencies that make a difference,” said Greg Emmer, senior vice president of operations for the Disneyland Resort. “We are very proud to accept this StormReady recognition and appreciate the acknowledgment of our emergency management efforts.”

To be recognized as StormReady, a community must:

In a ceremony at Disneyland, resort officials were presented with a formal recognition letter and StormReady signs. The StormReady recognition will remain in effect for three years before the resort conducts a renewal process.

In 2007 NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. Starting with the establishment of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. The agency is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and more than 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA’s National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov

NOAA’s National Weather Service in San Diego: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sgx/

StormReady program information: http://www.stormready.noaa.gov