March 18, 2009

NOAA Recognizes Yakutat, Alaska, as TsunamiReady and StormReady

From a NOAA press release:

Yakutat, Alaska, has earned the NOAA National Weather Service TsunamiReadyT and StormReady® designations, better equipping the town to handle severe weather and tsunamis.

The Yakutat emergency management team fulfilled a rigorous set of warning communication and evacuation planning criteria that establish preparedness standards for tsunami and severe weather hazards.

"I'm honored to recognize Yakutat as our sixth TsunamiReadyT community in Alaska and second TsunamiReadyT community in Southeast Alaska," said Tom Ainsworth, meteorologist-in-charge of the Juneau Weather Forecast Office. "The National Weather Service continues to enhance the nation's tsunami and severe weather detection, assessment and warning system, but a timely warning is meaningless unless people know how to respond. This program is designed to help people prepare for what to do should a tsunami or severe weather strike."

In a ceremony in Yakutat on March 24, Ainsworth will present a recognition letter and TsunamiReadyT and StormReady® road signs to community officials.

To earn TsunamiReadyT and StormReady® status, a community must:

* establish a 24-hour center for receiving National Weather Service warnings and activating local warning systems;

* have more than one way to alert the public about tsunami and severe weather warnings;

* create a system that monitors local weather conditions;

* promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars; and

* develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

Ainsworth also is encouraging local residents to take steps to prepare for a tsunami and other severe weather events. "Preparation for disaster is everyone's responsibility. Develop your own emergency response plan. Keep a disaster supply kit on hand. Educate yourself about the warning signs," he said.

The TsunamiReadyT and StormReady® programs are part of a partnership between NOAA's National Weather Service and the International Association of Emergency Managers, the National Emergency Management Association and the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. The TsunamiReadyT and StormReady® recognitions expire in three years, after which the community will go through a renewal process.

StormReady® and TsunamiReadyT are registered trademarks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.