Customer Comments

Here's what Emergency Managers and other users have to say about the benefits of becoming StormReady:

• Williston has been a StormReady community for several years. The signs we posted are something people see at key locations in town. The signs raise their interest in the program and have to give them some comfort. Also a benefit for meeting the requirements of a StormReady community is the increased level of awareness and safety for the community.” Emergency Manager, Williams County, ND
  
  
• The firefighters in Denison that have spent countless hours training and storm spotting now feel their work has been recognized. A little recognition goes a long way, but a distinguished certification such as this is amazing. After the signs were up, City Hall received several phone calls asking what being "Storm Ready" meant. After it was explained, callers said it made them feel “safer.” This designation has shown that Denison is ready for a storm.” Fire Chief, Denison, IA
  
  
• By participating in the StormReady program it gives you a yard stick to measure just how prepared you are. It shows you the areas that you need to improve in and also shows you your strong points. Emergency Management, Brown County, SD
  
  
• In my talking points I always bring up that Monroe County is a StormReady Community. It helps me in my presentation when talking to the public about severe weather. This is a program that all counties in Indiana should have and it would benefit the entire state. Emergency Management, Monroe County, IN
  
  
• StormReady helped Lewis and Clark County upgrade its Community Rating System (CRS) rating from a 9 to an 8, which means a 10% discount in NFIP flood insurance premiums. It also provided the impetus for the county to provide NOAA Weather radios to 50 public buildings in Helena, East Helena, and the rest of the county, including 23 schools. I heartily endorse the program and remain a strong supporter of StormReady. Disaster and Emergency Services, Lewis and Clark County, MT
  
  
• I can only tell you that it has helped us obtain funds from the E-911 fund to replace equipment that was damaged by one of your storms by lightning. When I mentioned that this was tied directly to our StormReady and StormNet program, funds were allocated and equipment was immediately replaced. I think StormReady is one of the best efforts the NWS has accomplished and I would certainly support its continuation. Emergency Management, Madison County, IN
  
  
• StormReady reminds and educates citizens what to look for and/or what to do prior to or during an emergency event, helps clarify weather terminology (watch vs. warning), and helps citizens feel safer knowing that EM and NWS are consistently monitoring the weather and educating the public (via press releases, interviews, etc.). Emergency Manager, Oneida County, WI
  
  
• In addition to creating a great sense of pride and peace of mind among our citizenry, Columbia County's private and public sectors agencies have initiated numerous other "StormReady" type actions that have greatly enhanced our program. StormReady's been a great program for Columbia County and continues to grow! Emergency Manager, Columbia County, GA
  
  
• The main benefit of the process is a greatly improved capability to respond in case we face a weather emergency. We now have a plan (it is an appendix to our omnibus web-based Morrow County response plan), expanded alert and notification capabilities, and a better understanding of our threat areas and response/recovery capabilities. Morrow County, OR
  
  
• The chief benefit in our case is a greater recognition by citizens and city officials of the impact that severe weather events have on our city and how the city has improved its readiness level by following the StormReady guidelines criteria. Our citizens have benefited particularly from the public education component of the program. Emergency Manager, Encinitas, CA
  
  
• As Emergency Services Director for the Monroe County Red Cross, charged with community education, I realize a lot of benefit from the StormReady program. I proudly display the StormReady sign and mention the program in nearly every presentation I do. I sincerely hope that the NWS intends to continue this very fine program. Red Cross, Monroe County, IN
  
  
• StormReady gives me a set of guidelines to follow that help me create and maintain a comprehensive warning system. These guidelines help standardize the way warning information is received and disseminated at the local level, making it less confusing to the public. StormReady gives the public a better sense of security knowing that local warning procedures follow these national guidelines. Stutsman County, ND, Emergency Manager
  
  
• StormReady is a program that sets the standard. It caused us to improve our local storm warning capability in order to reach or exceed that standard and qualify as a StormReady County. Hamilton County is a safer place since we elected to participate in the StormReady program. Emergency Management, Hamilton County, IN
  
  
• The biggest benefit for us is Storm Ready recognition sets the standard. It gives us guidance as what we need to do to prepare for severe weather. Flora/Clay County ESDA
  
  
• I think StormReady has helped make our County more aware of the weather in general. We have more people attending the Storm Spotters program, and we have a list of people wanting to be involved in the CERT program. Emergency Management, Johnson County, IN
  
  
• Media coverage related to the StormReady designation was fantastic. The community was most definitely made aware of severe weather preparedness and how important planning and preparedness are. The most important benefit: an increased level of awareness in the importance of emergency management planning and preparedness in our community. Emergency Manager, Lincoln County, WI
  
  
• StormReady has given recognition to our long-established program in Madison County. This, in turn, has made it easier for public officials to fund our operations. It has also given us some leverage with officials, especially in the smaller towns, to improve their ability to sound warnings. I urge the National Weather Service to continue this program. Science Trainer, Madison County IN
  
  
• The biggest benefit was to show the County Board we are doing something. Our spotters are proud of the StormReady recognition as we could not do this with out them. Champaign County, IL, ESDA
  
  
• Wallowa County has benefited as a participant in the StormReady program by an increased awareness of severe weather events, enhancing community-wide severe weather notification, and continued training and education of storm spotters within the local community. Storm spotters, are receiving severe weather observation training and educational materials, who then feed back information to the NWS Pendleton forecast, potentially helping to save property and lives ahead of severe weather events. Wallowa County, OR
  
  
• StormReady creates an awareness for the NWS and local Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) that weather does have impacts on communities. StormReady educates the people of the community that DES/EM does have active disaster and emergency plans and it gives local DES/EM guidelines and goals to improve their disaster and emergency program. Disaster and Emergency Service, Beaverhead County, MT
  
  
• StormReady has improved county and city fan-out procedures so that more organizations receive important weather information. Also, much of the StormReady guidelines for communications can be applied to their total emergency operations plan. Statement paraphrased from local Emergency Managers in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, by NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Spokane, WA