National Weather Service Raw Text Product

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NOUS43 KDMX 151329
PNSDMX
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-
081>086-092>097-160130-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
829 AM CDT TUE APR 15 2008

...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...

OFFICIALS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOGNIZED GRINNELL 
COLLEGE ON TUESDAY FOR COMPLETING A SET OF RIGOROUS CRITERIA 
NECESSARY TO EARN THE DISTINCTION OF BEING STORMREADY. GRINNELL 
COLLEGE IS ONE OF ONLY 25 STORMREADY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN 
THE COUNTRY...AND ONE OF FOUR IN THE STATE OF IOWA. THERE ARE NOW 
MORE THAN 1300 STORMREADY COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. 

STORMREADY ENCOURAGES COMMUNITIES TO TAKE A NEW...PROACTIVE APPROACH 
TO IMPROVING LOCAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OPERATIONS AND PUBLIC 
AWARENESS...SAID JEFF JOHNSON...WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST 
AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN DES MOINES. 
STORMREADY ARMS COMMUNITIES...AND IN THIS CASE GRINNELL COLLEGE WITH 
IMPROVED COMMUNICATION AND SAFETY SKILLS NEEDED TO SAVE LIVES AND 
PROPERTY - BEFORE AND DURING THE EVENT. 

THE PROGRAM IS VOLUNTARY AND PROVIDES COMMUNITIES AND COLLEGES WITH 
CLEAR-CUT ADVICE FROM A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES AND STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGERS. TO 
BE RECOGNIZED AS STORMREADY...A COMMUNITY OR COLLEGE MUST...

    - ESTABLISH A 24-HOUR WARNING POINT AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
    - HAVE MORE THAN ONE WAY TO RECEIVE SEVERE WEATHER FORECASTS AND 
      WARNINGS 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

METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE BRENDA BROCK AND STORMREADY PROGRAM 
ASSISTANT MELINDA ALBRECHT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES 
MOINES PRESENTED GRINNELL COLLEGE OFFICIALS WITH A RECOGNITION 
PLAQUE AND SPECIAL SIGNS. ATTENDING THE CEREMONY FROM GRINNELL 
COLLEGE WERE W. HOUSTON DOUGHARTY...VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT 
AFFAIRS...ELENA BERNAL...VICE PRESIDENT OF DIVERSITY...STEPHEN A. 
BRISCOE...DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND SECURITY...AMY COLEMAN...SAFETY AND 
SECURITY OFFICER...AND KAREN MEEK...POWESHIEK COUNTY EMERGENCY 
MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR. THE COLLEGES STORMREADY STATUS WILL BE IN 
EFFECT UNTIL 2011 WHEN GRINNELL COLLEGE WILL GO THROUGH A RENEWAL 
PROCESS.

NOAA AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ARE DEDICATED TO ENHANCING 
ECONOMIC SECURITY AND NATIONAL SAFETY THROUGH THE PREDICTION AND 
RESEARCH OF WEATHER AND CLIMATE-RELATED EVENTS AND INFORMATION 
SERVICE DELIVERY FOR TRANSPORTATION...AND BY PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTAL 
STEWARDSHIP OF THE NATIONS COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES.

&&

MELINDA ALBRECHT
STORMREADY PROGRAM ASSISTANT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA  
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES 

$$