NWS Quad Cities StormReady

About StormReady_®

Ninety percent of all presidential declared disasters are weather related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $14 billion in damage. To help Americans guard against the ravages of severe weather, the National Weather Service has designed StormReady, a program aimed at arming America's communities with the communication and safety skills necessary to save lives and property.

StormReady prepares communities with an action plan that responds to the risk of all types of severe weather - from tornadoes to tsunamis. The entire community from the mayor, emergency managers, to business leaders and civic groups can take the lead on becoming StormReady. Local National Weather Service forecast offices work with communities to complete an application and review process. To be recognized as StormReady, a community must:

• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
• Have more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings and to alert the public;
• 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 and holding emergency exercises.

Organizations not meeting the guidelines for full StormReady recognition may qualify as a StormReady Supporter.  StormReady Supporters promote the principles and guidelines of the StormReady program.  Examples of potential StormReady Supporters include businesses, hospitals, shopping centers and malls, schools, state parks, etc.

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Population-Based Guidelines
• National StormReady Page
• StormReady Flyer  (printable pdf)
• StormReady Supporter Flyer  (printable pdf)

How to Be Recognized as StormReady®

There are three easy steps to becoming StormReady in the NWS Quad Cities area of responsibility. If you have jurisdiction over a community as well as unincorporated areas of the surrounding county, you only need to submit one application with the combined populations.

1. For locations within the NWS Quad Cities area of responsibility, contact rich.kinney@noaa.gov (Note: If you are from outside the NWS Quad Cities area of responsibility, contact the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at your local NWS office.)

2. Review the StormReady guidelines for your type of community/organization:

• StormReady Guidelines for Communities, Counties, Colleges, etc.
• StormReady Supporter Guidelines for Schools 
• StormReady Supporter Guidelines for Hospitals 
• StormReady Supporter Guidelines for Event Venues (Stadiums, Fairgrounds, Parks, etc.)
• StormReady Supporter Guidelines for Businesses, Manufacturing Facilities, etc. 
• StormReady Supporter Guidelines for All Others 

3. Fill out the appropriate form and send it to rich.kinney@noaa.gov. Please include a copy of the severe weather portion of your preparedness and response plan(s).

• Communities, counties, colleges, etc: fillable, savable PDF
• All others (schools, hospitals, businesses, organizations, etc.):  fillable, savable PDF

What happens next?

• Your application will be reviewed by the Tri-State StormReady Advisory Board.
• They may ask for clarifications or note areas of concern throughout the process.
• When it appears that the guidelines have been met, the Board will contact you to arrange a verification visit.
• Following the verification visit, the Board will vote to approve the application.
• If additional improvements are needed, the Board will notify you and provide additional guidance as appropriate.
• Once the application has been approved, you can arrange an optional recognition ceremony.

Local StormReady® Heroes

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.