HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-15-2015 - 4d 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: September 15, 2015
Action Agenda
Item No. 4-d
SUBJECT: Recognizing Orange County as a "Storm Ready" Community
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kirby Saunders, Emergency
Management Coordinator, 245-6135
Josh Hollingsworth, Emergency
Management Planner, 245-6138
PURPOSE: To accept "Storm Ready" community designation from the National Weather
Service.
BACKGROUND: Nearly 90% of all presidentially declared disasters are weather-related,
leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $14 billion in damage. To help Americans
guard against the ravages of severe weather, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Weather Service (NWS) designed the Storm Ready program.
Storm Ready helps prepare America's communities with the communication and safety skills
they need to save lives and protect property.
Many laws and regulations exist to help local emergency managers deal with hazardous
material spills, search and rescue operations, medical crises, etc., but there are few guidelines
dealing with the specifics of hazardous weather response. The NWS recognized this need and
designed Storm Ready to help communities of all kinds — towns, cities, counties, Tribal Nations,
universities, airports, and industrial complexes — implement procedures to reduce the potential
for disastrous weather-related consequences.
To be recognized as Storm Ready, communities must meet guidelines established by the NWS
in partnership with federal, state, and local emergency management professionals. More
specifically, to be recognized as Storm Ready, communities must:
• Incorporate severe weather threats into their hazard mitigation and emergency response
plans.
• Establish a 24-hour Warning Point and Emergency Operations Center.
• Establish multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the
public.
• Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally.
• Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars, severe
weather spotter training and by conducting emergency exercises.
2
This is Orange County's second designation as a Storm Ready community. Orange County was
designated in 2008, but did not complete the renewal requirements.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There are no direct financial impacts associated with this recognition.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: This designation does not specifically impact the goal of "Create a
Safe Community". This designation does recognize the steps that have been taken towards
improving the community's resiliency to natural hazards (severe weather, flooding, tornados,
etc.).
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board accept the Storm Ready
community designation from the National Weather Service.