St. Charles Recognized as 'StormReady Community'

Jim Kramper, of the National Weather Service, presented an award to St. Charles on Tuesday recognizing it as a storm ready community. 

The StormReady program got started in 1999 in Tulsa, OK as a way to establish guidelines that help citizens be safe from severe weather, Kramper said. They look at communication, preparedness and other indicators. 

"We look at preparedness activities," he said. "Does everyone know what they should do?" 

To be recognized as 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 

There are 2,000 cities that have been recognized as StormReady.