Application Process

1. Contact your local NWS office 2. Check on local criteria - that is population based 3. Complete an application: StormReady Community: Word, PDF StormReady Supporter: Word, PDF StormReady Supporter (Television): Word, PDF 4. Email or send your completed application to your local NWS office 5. You will be contacted by the local NWS office after reviewing the application 6. A site survey will be scheduled and conducted to further review the application 7. Once the survey and application are completed, the advisory board will review and either approve or offer suggestions for areas that have not met criteria 8. Once approved, a recognition ceremony is held locally (optional)

Special Notes:

Recognition for communities (or counties) is valid for four (4) years.  One StormReady road sign is given to new recognitions if available.

StormReady Supporters have a recognition for five (5) years.  No sign is available for supporters.

Criteria for achieving "County-wide" StormReady status in the Greater Tri-State StormReady area:

• Only 1 application is needed per county.
• The county MUST be an active partner with the National Weather Service.
• The county should have a county-wide spotter network and county-based notification systems.
• A county warning point can serve as community warning points if strong communication and coordination practices are utilized.
• Local communities should be an active part of any county-wide severe weather action plan and strive to conduct local monitoring, notification, and preparedness, as well as maintain an action plan as needed. 

Criteria

	When Seconds Count, StormReady Communities are Prepared
Greater Tri-State (NWS La Crosse) StormReady Population-Based Guidelines Since the tax base typically dictates the resources applied to public programs, the guidelines for successful participation in the StormReady Program are based on population. Although subject to later refinement, four population categories are used for developing appropriate recognition criteria related to weather disaster preparedness. The population-based categories are:
Guidelines Population   < 2,500 2,500 - 14,999 15,000 - 40,000 > 40,000 Guideline 1: Communication Established 24 hr Warning Point (WP) X X X X Establish Emergency Operations Center X* X* X X Real-time reports are relayed to NWS X X X X Guideline 2: NWS Information Reception Number of ways for EOC/WP to receive NWS warning, etc. 3 4 4 4 Guideline 3: Hydrometeorological Monitoring Number of ways to monitor hydrometerological data 1 2 3 4 Guideline 4: Local Warning Dissemination Number of ways for EOC/WP to disseminate warnings, excluding NWR 1 1 2 3 NWR - SAME receivers in public facilities and other designated areas X X X X Guideline 5: Community Preparedness Documented number of annual weather safety talks 1 2 3 4 Number of spotters and dispatchers trained biennially 3 5 10 20 Guideline 6: Administrative Formal hazardous weather operations plan X X X X Biennial visits by emergency manager or other official to NWS X X X X Annual visits by NWS official to community acting as warning point X X X X

Designated StormReady Communities / Counties

Minnesota:

• Dover, MN
• Eyota, MN
• Spring Valley, MN

Iowa:

• Edgewood, IA
• Oelwein, IA
• West Union, IA
• Fayette, IA
• Clermont, IA
• Elgin, IA
• Chickasaw County, IA
• Clayton County, IA
• Fayette County, IA
• Winneshiek County, IA

Wisconsin:

• Viroqua, WI
• Fort McCoy, WI
• Vernon County, WI

Designated StormReady Supporters

Television:

• KAAL (Rochester/Austin)
• WXOW (La Crosse/La Crescent)
• WKBT (La Crosse)

Medical:

• Mayo Clinic (Rochester Campus)

Greater Tri-State StormReady Advisory Board Members

Chairperson:

Mike Kurz
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service - La Crosse

Todd Shea
Meteorologist-in-Charge
National Weather Service - La Crosse

Board members:

Lisa Olson-McDonald
Wisconsin Emergency Management

Steve Braun
Grant County Emergency Manager
Lancaster, WI

Kris Olson
Mitchell County Emergency Manager
Osage, IA

Sean Snyder
Winneshiek County Emergency Manager
Decorah, IA

Jon Turk
Rochester, MN Police Dept.

StormReady Program Intentions

• Provide detailed and clear recommendations by which local emergency managers may establish/improve effective hazardous weather operations.
• Strengthen a community's ability to receive and use severe weather watches and warnings from the National Weather Service.
• Improve the timeliness and effectiveness of hazardous weather warnings for the public.
• Help local emergency managers justify costs and purchases related to supporting their hazardous weather-related program.
• Reward local hazardous-weather mitigation programs that have achieved a desired performance level.
• Provide a means of acquiring additional Community Rating System points assigned by the Insurance Services Organization (ISO).
• Provide an "image incentive" to counties, cities, and towns that can identify themselves being "StormReady."
• Encourage the enhancement of hazardous weather preparedness programs in jurisdictions surrounding "StormReady" communities and counties.