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How to Be Recognized as StormReady® |
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What happens next?
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Local StormReady® Heroes |
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When the F2 tornado swept through the heart of Iowa City, its path of destruction included the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Fortunately for town residents, Johnson County officials and other community leaders had worked with the Quad Cities National Weather Service office in Davenport to prepare for just such events by joining StormReady – a nationwide community preparedness program that helps community officials develop plans to handle all types of severe weather. On April 13, 2006, National Weather Service forecasters issued the first tornado warning for Johnson County at 7:58 p.m. Just one minute later, following adopted procedure, local officials activated the Indoor Warning System created to relay National Weather Service warnings to occupants of buildings. Outdoor tornado sirens were activated at 8 p.m. The tornado warning was updated at 8:10 p.m. and 8:31 p.m. All updates were followed by activation of tornado warning sirens. At 8:20 p.m., Deacon Miller was leaving St. Patrick’s when he heard the tornado sirens.Deacon Miller immediately went back inside to notify Father Juarez, who was conducting a Rosary service. The service was stopped immediately and over 50 parishioners took refuge in the basement of the next door rectory. The tornado slammed into the church just minutes later at about 8:35 p.m., collapsing the steeple and southern portion of the roof, including the choir loft, directly onto where the parishioners had been moments before. The rectory building also sustained significant damage, but parishioners sheltering in the basement escaped unharmed.
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