First Airport System To Earn Community Recognition
NOAA's National Weather Service recognized the Wayne County
Airport Authority (WCAA) this week as the first StormReady airport
system in the United States.
"StormReady encourages communities to take a new, proactive
approach to improving local hazardous weather operations and public
awareness," said Richard Pollman, Warning Coordination
Meteorologist at NOAA's Detroit Weather Forecast Office in White
Lake, MI. "StormReady arms communities with improved communication
and safety skills needed to save lives and property - before and
during the event.
"Airports are significantly impacted by weather, and this new
designation is reflective of our airports' commitment to operating
the safest-possible air transportation facilities for our customers
and the communities we serve," said Airport Authority CEO Lester
Robinson.
The nationwide community preparedness program uses a grassroots
approach to help communities, government entities, universities and
businesses develop plans to handle local severe weather and
flooding threats. The program is voluntary and provides communities
with clear-cut advice from a partnership between the local NWS
weather forecast office and state and local emergency managers.
StormReady started in 1999 with seven communities in the Tulsa,
Oklahoma, area. There are now more than 1300 StormReady communities
in the United States.
Representatives of the NWS Weather Forecast Office in White Lake
presented a recognition letter and special StormReady signs to
Robinson at a public ceremony held today at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport's L.C. Smith Terminal. The StormReady recognition will be
in effect for three years, after which time the Airport Authority
will be required to go through a recertification process to
maintain accreditation.
To be recognized as StormReady, a community must establish a
24-hour warning point and emergency operations center, and have
more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings
and to alert the public. the airport authority also developed a
formal hazardous weather plan, which included training severe
weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
"The United States is the most severe weather prone region of
the world. The mission of the National Weather Service is to reduce
the loss of life and property from these storms, and StormReady
will help us create better prepared communities throughout the
country," Pollman said.
"We view being the first airport system in the country to
receive StormReady designation as more of a responsibility than an
honor," Robinson added. "Thanks to the initiative of our Emergency
Management team, the Airport Authority plans to engage entities
throughout the airport community, in addition to each of our
neighboring communities, through our outreach efforts to ensure our
airports are the anchors of a greater community ready for all types
of severe weather."
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