The Cherokee County Commission and Emergency Management Agency were honored recently as being “StormReady.” Cherokee is only the fifth county in the state to earn this designation by the National Weather Service.

Jim McCamy, area coordinator with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and Brian Peters, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service were on hand to present the award to Leon Smith, director, Cherokee County EMA, for local efforts.

Peters shared some background on the StormReady program.

“The idea was that a lot of communities put a lot of effort into preparing for severe weather and don’t get any recognition whatsoever of that effort,” said Peters. “This effort includes not only man hours but personnel, money, resources, means of communicating with the National Weather Service. It all starts with elected officials and works its way down to the benefit of all the community. It is completely voluntary. There is a very large, rigorous list of requirements.”

StormReady, according to information provided by the National Weather Service, prepares communities with an action plan that responds to the threat 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 officially 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.

“It is with a great deal of pleasure that I am here today to represent the National Weather Service and to present the county commission and EMA with a street sign,” said Peters. “Part of the National Weather Service Plan, which is something we don’t have a lot of control over at the moment, is trying to work with the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) which has points they give to communities that helps to reduce hazard and homeowners’ insurance. The weather service is working with the organization to, at some point, have Storm Ready recognition amount to a reduction in homeowner policy. We’re not talking about hundreds of dollars, but we are talking about a few and even if it’s 1 or 2 percent on homeowners, all of us would be happy to have that.”

StormReady designation may not keep the wind and rain away, Peters notes.

“But StormReady is certainly a step forward and I think all of the citizens of Cherokee County can share in taking pride that your county is better prepared to handle and deal with severe weather,” said Peters