(PRESS RELEASE) – National Weather Service officials have recognized Fulton County as a StormReady ® county. The StormReady® program helps community leaders and residents better prepare for hazardous weather and flooding.
StormReady counties have made a strong commitment to implement the infrastructure and systems needed to save lives and protect property when severe weather strikes.
Dustin Norman, Warning Coordination Meteorologist of the National Weather Service forecast office in Northern Indiana, will present county officials with a certificate and special StormReady ® signs during a ceremony at the Fulton County EMA located at 8848 State Route 108, Suite 105. Wauseon, OH 43567 on April 25th, 2024 at 11:00am EDT.
“Fulton County is vulnerable to a variety of hazardous weather, including snow and ice, droughts and floods, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes.
By becoming StormReady® the officials in Fulton County demonstrate a commitment to protecting the lives of the people they serve,” said Warning Coordination Meteorologist Mark Frazier at the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana.
“This new StormReady designation demonstrates that Fulton County is ready and resilient when dangerous weather occurs.”
The nationwide community preparedness program, founded in 1999, is a grassroots approach to preparing for natural hazards.
Today, more than 2,200 U.S. communities are better prepared for severe weather through the StormReady program.
To be recognized as StormReady, a county must maintain a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center; have more than one way to receive National Weather Service warnings and to alert the public; be able to monitor local weather and flood conditions; conduct community preparedness programs; and ensure hazardous weather and flooding are addressed in formal emergency management plans, which include training SKYWARN® weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
The StormReady program is part of the National Weather Service’s working partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers and the National Emergency Management Association.
The StormReady recognition is valid for four years and can be renewed. The National Weather Service’s Northern Indiana Forecast Office, located in Syracuse, IN is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for almost 2.4 million people in 24 Indiana counties, five Michigan counties, and eight Ohio counties.