The Lower Colorado River Authority is now the first commercial site in Texas to be recognized as StormReady®.

It is also unique among StormReady® communities in that it encompasses ten separate facilities, each of which met the difficult criteria for recognition.

StormReady® is a nationwide preparedness program that uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather and flooding threats.

Joe Arellano, meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service forecast office in New Braunfels, presented a recognition letter and special StormReady® signs to Authority officials today at the annual meeting of the Texas Colorado River Floodplain Coalition in Austin.

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

“By meeting the vigorous StormReady criteria, the Lower Colorado River Authority facilities are better prepared to deal with severe weather,” said Paul Yura, warning coordination meteorologist at the forecast office in New Braunfels.

Resilience to disasters is everyone’s responsibility. Take the following proactive steps to be better prepared: educate yourself and your family about environmental hazards, maintain a disaster supply kit and have an emergency plan in place.

The TsunamiReady™ and StormReady® programs are part of NOAA National Weather Service’s working partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers, the National Emergency Management Association and the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program.