La Crosse, WI

Weather Forecast Office

NWS La Crosse - StormReady Program

Overview of StormReady Program

"StormReady" is a national voluntary program, administered through your local National Weather Service office, that gives communities the skills and education needed to cope with and manage potential weather-related disasters, before and during the event. The program encourages communities to take a new pro-active approach. This nationwide preparedness program uses a grassroots effort to help communities develop plans to improve local hazardous weather operations and public awareness for all types of local severe weather threats. In other words, StormReady is aimed at arming America's communities with the communication and safety skills necessary to save lives and property.

By participating in StormReady, local agencies can earn recognition for their jurisdiction by meeting criteria established by the National Weather Service in partnership with federal, state, and local emergency management professionals. More importantly recognition shows that your community is doing all they can to keep people safer and well informed when hazardous weather is near.

Local organizations that are not considered "communities" can also apply for the StormReady Supporter program that includes similar guidance and criteria. This might include businesses, schools, and the media.

Deaths and injuries can occur in severe weather. The same thing can happen again, even in your community. Will your community be ready for the next severe storm? Will community and emergency response officials, and local residents know that severe storms are imminent? Will your community be StormReady?

StormReady Communities & Supporters

National StormReady Web Page

Applying
Criteria
Communities
Supporters
Advisory Board
Intentions

Application Process

1. Contact your local NWS office

2. Check on local criteria - that is population based

3. Complete an application:

StormReady Community: Word, PDF
StormReady Supporter: Word, PDF
StormReady Supporter (Television): Word, PDF

4. Email or send your completed application to your local NWS office

5. You will be contacted by the local NWS office after reviewing the application

6. A site survey will be scheduled and conducted to further review the application

7. Once the survey and application are completed, the advisory board will review and either approve or offer suggestions for areas that have not met criteria

8. Once approved, a recognition ceremony is held locally (optional)

Special Notes:

Recognition for communities (or counties) is valid for four (4) years. One StormReady road sign is given to new recognitions if available.

StormReady Supporters have a recognition for five (5) years. No sign is available for supporters.

Criteria for achieving "County-wide" StormReady status in the Greater Tri-State StormReady area:

Only 1 application is needed per county.
The county MUST be an active partner with the National Weather Service.
The county should have a county-wide spotter network and county-based notification systems.
A county warning point can serve as community warning points if strong communication and coordination practices are utilized.
Local communities should be an active part of any county-wide severe weather action plan and strive to conduct local monitoring, notification, and preparedness, as well as maintain an action plan as needed.

Criteria

When Seconds Count, StormReady Communities are Prepared

Greater Tri-State (NWS La Crosse)
StormReady Population-Based Guidelines

Since the tax base typically dictates the resources applied to public programs, the guidelines for successful participation in the StormReady Program are based on population. Although subject to later refinement, four population categories are used for developing appropriate recognition criteria related to weather disaster preparedness. The population-based categories are:

Guidelines	Population
	< 2,500	2,500 - 14,999	15,000 - 40,000	> 40,000
Guideline 1: Communication
Established 24 hr Warning Point (WP)	X	X	X	X
Establish Emergency Operations Center	X*	X*	X	X
Real-time reports are relayed to NWS	X	X	X	X
Guideline 2: NWS Information Reception
Number of ways for EOC/WP to receive NWS warning, etc.	3	4	4	4
Guideline 3: Hydrometeorological Monitoring
Number of ways to monitor hydrometerological data	1	2	3	4
Guideline 4: Local Warning Dissemination
Number of ways for EOC/WP to disseminate warnings, excluding NWR	1	1	2	3
NWR - SAME receivers in public facilities and other designated areas	X	X	X	X
Guideline 5: Community Preparedness
Documented number of annual weather safety talks	1	2	3	4
Number of spotters and dispatchers trained biennially	3	5	10	20
Guideline 6: Administrative
Formal hazardous weather operations plan	X	X	X	X
Biennial visits by emergency manager or other official to NWS	X	X	X	X
Annual visits by NWS official to community acting as warning point	X	X	X	X

Designated StormReady Communities / Counties

Minnesota:

Dover, MN
Eyota, MN
Spring Valley, MN

Iowa:

Edgewood, IA
Oelwein, IA
West Union, IA
Fayette, IA
Clermont, IA
Elgin, IA
Chickasaw County, IA
Clayton County, IA
Fayette County, IA
Winneshiek County, IA

Wisconsin:

Viroqua, WI
Fort McCoy, WI
Vernon County, WI

Designated StormReady Supporters

Television:

KAAL (Rochester/Austin)
WXOW (La Crosse/La Crescent)
WKBT (La Crosse)

Medical:

Mayo Clinic (Rochester Campus)

Greater Tri-State StormReady Advisory Board Members

Chairperson:

Mike Kurz
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service - La Crosse

Todd Shea
Meteorologist-in-Charge
National Weather Service - La Crosse

Board members:

Lisa Olson-McDonald
Wisconsin Emergency Management

Steve Braun
Grant County Emergency Manager
Lancaster, WI

Kris Olson
Mitchell County Emergency Manager
Osage, IA

Sean Snyder
Winneshiek County Emergency Manager
Decorah, IA

Jon Turk
Rochester, MN Police Dept.

StormReady Program Intentions

Provide detailed and clear recommendations by which local emergency managers may establish/improve effective hazardous weather operations.
Strengthen a community's ability to receive and use severe weather watches and warnings from the National Weather Service.
Improve the timeliness and effectiveness of hazardous weather warnings for the public.
Help local emergency managers justify costs and purchases related to supporting their hazardous weather-related program.
Reward local hazardous-weather mitigation programs that have achieved a desired performance level.
Provide a means of acquiring additional Community Rating System points assigned by the Insurance Services Organization (ISO).
Provide an "image incentive" to counties, cities, and towns that can identify themselves being "StormReady."
Encourage the enhancement of hazardous weather preparedness programs in jurisdictions surrounding "StormReady" communities and counties.