Emergency Management Agency receives certification from National Weather Service
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Howard County has been hit by more than its fair share of tornadoes, floods, and other weather disasters. No matter the season or the severity, the community has stayed safer through them all, thanks in large part to the efforts of the local Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
It is Howard County EMA that spots the storms and communicates what is seen to the National Weather Service (NWS), ensuring that citizens receive information as quickly as possible. And it is those same men and women who deploy in the wake of the disaster to secure life and property.
The local agency has performed so well that it was bestowed the designation of StormReady by the Indianapolis office of the NWS earlier this week. The EMA office was visited by David Beachler, Acting Meteorologist in Charge and Science Operations Officer, and Mike Ryan, Senior Meteorologist, from NWS Indianapolis. Together, the duo gave the good news to the EMA members present, including EMA director Janice Hart.
“This is something Janice and I have talked about for probably seven or eight years now,” said Ryan. “The StormReady program requirements were more stringent way back when, and one of the requirements was a siren system, but that’s been loosened over the last few years.
“We have gotten to the point where it’s there are so many other ways people are getting information. The siren system shouldn’t be a requirement if you have everything else. We took the time to sit down and make this happen, and we are proud to have you as a StormReady partner.”
Hart asked if there is anything Howard County EMA should be doing in addition to its current storm preparation, observation, and communication activities.
“You’re already doing it,” said Ryan. “You’re showing an enhanced capability for protection of life and property with how you’re disseminating information, how you’re receiving it, and all the collaboration you have with your county partners and agencies.”
“When we do have hazardous weather, when there are tornadoes in the area, the community is made aware,” added Beachler. “It’s not being held to your chest. It’s being talked about. It’s being communicated through various methods of messaging so that people are safe. That’s the end result.”
The NWS’s StormReady program has been in operation for the past 25 years, Ryan explained. It serves to show that communities are equipped with an enhanced level of communication to protect life and property. The StormReady designation is given to communities that work together to train its citizens in storm preparedness, from knowing how to shelter in place or respond to a weather disaster to storm spotting.
“We’re lucky in Indiana,” said Ryan. “I think probably about half of our counties in the state have achieved StormReady. In our central Indiana counties, Howard County is now the 21st of 39 counties to achieve it.”
While there isn’t any direct impact to earning the StormReady designation, Ryan believes having that on the community’s ledger can lead to improved funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“It’s also a sense of pride that’s maybe the priceless piece,” said Beachler. “I grew up in Logansport, so I came to Kokomo a lot as a kid. This area is kind of like home to me. So, that sense of pride is a big deal in your hometown, in the areas that people grew up in. Being able to recognize your community for being storm ready is a big deal.”
Ryan cited the many damaging storms that have hit Howard County over the years, from the tornadoes in 2013 and 2016 to the floods in 2003 and 2015, and even the blizzard of 1977 and the Palm Sunday tornadoes of 1965. He pointed out the community’s track record of quick reporting and communication, which led to no loss of life in any of the storms in this century.
The StormReady designation will remain in Howard County’s hands for the next four years, when the NWS will return to update information. The county will go through recertification every eight years.