Sandestin community declared StormReady
For some people getting ready for the hurricane season means buying bottled water and checking the flashlight batteries, but the National Weather Service wants residents to be better prepared.
The NWS has created StormReady, a program that helps communities prepare through better planning, education and awareness.
Thanks to the efforts of Sandestin’s Director of Security Tom Cooper, the Sandestin Community has been recognized as a StormReady Supporter by the NWS.
The StormReady program establishes a warning system, requires communities to have more than one way to receive warnings and alert the public, creates a weather monitoring system and promotes public readiness.
“That’s two thirds of the battle,” Bob Gorre of the National Weather Service in Tallahassee said.
When people receive a storm warning and know what to do, lives are saved, Gorre said. “Tom was eager to take part and move forward with the readiness program,” Gorre said. Within the StormReady program, there are three designations – communities, commercial sites and supporters. Businesses, schools, hospitals, shopping centers and malls often establish severe weather safety plans and actively take part and promote severe weather safety awareness activities, which is required for the StormReady Supporter designation.
“The county is a StormReady county,” Cooper said, “and we support the county in their readiness programs.”
The program involved administrative and organizational work for Sandestin personnel, but Cooper, who learned of the program at the Governor’s Hurricane Conference, said he also worked with the county and the state to earn the distinction.
“It’s an honor for the Sandestin Community to receive this designation. It shows the commitment of Sandestin Owners Association to keep everyone informed the best way we can to assist the county and the state in weather awareness,” Cooper said.
Sandestin’s security office monitors weather warnings from an approved Web site, weather radios and emergencymail.org to be aware of emergency weather issues. Security has a list of all PCs in the resort and sends out warnings as necessary. Cooper plans to include a homeowner database in the distribution to alert residents in the community of emergency weather conditions.
“Many people look out the window and see a thunderstorm, but aren’t necessarily aware that it is a severe thunderstorm. With our system to alert them, they can be informed,” Cooper said.