The National Weather Service in Nashville has recognized the Cannon County School District as a StormReady Supporter. The recognition ceremony took place at the monthly School Board meeting.
StormReady is a voluntary program designed to help communities, counties, and other entities take a proactive approach to the kinds of severe weather that affect their area by improving local hazardous weather operations and heightening public awareness. Communities work with the local National Weather Service office, state, and local emergency managers to become “StormReady”.
The program was started by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, OK as an effort to educate residents about storm safety. It has now expanded nationwide in an effort to spread information about severe weather preparedness and what to do when severe weather strikes. Currently, there are almost 2,700 StormReady sites across the United States and its territories. The StormReady for Schools program is a branch of the original StormReady program that details specific guidelines and recommendations tailored for schools.
To achieve StormReady Supporter status, all of the schools in the district met predetermined criteria as set by National, Regional, and Local StormReady Advisory Boards. The criteria included things such as placing NOAA Weather Radios in every school office, maintaining situational awareness during severe weather, and reviewing severe weather sheltering procedures.
“Tornado and severe thunderstorm safety and preparation are the primary focus of the NWS Nashville StormReady program,” said Brittney Whitehead, NWS Meteorologist. “We hope many other Middle Tennessee school districts will apply and work towards gaining StormReady recognition just like Cannon County Schools.”
For additional information, or to request an application, contact Brittney Whitehead at the National Weather Service in Nashville at 615-754-8502, Brittney.Whitehead@noaa.gov, or visit our website at www.weather.gov/Nashville.
More on Cannon County Schools later this morning on After 8. The focus is on Woodbury Grammar and Auburn today.
