Alcorn State University receives StormReady designation
Alcorn State University receives StormReady designation
Lorman, Miss. (November 22, 2013) – Alcorn State University is the fifth Mississippi university to receive the StormReady designation from the National Weather Service.
“University campuses can be impacted by tornadoes, as was the case last February when the University of Southern Mississippi was hit,” said NWS Jackson Meteorologist-in-Charge, Alan Gerard. “We are very pleased that the leadership at Alcorn State has taken the initiative to increase severe weather preparedness so they can keep their students and faculty safe.”
Alcorn’s Environmental Health and Safety Director Kelvin Ray White expressed gratitude to university’s leadership for their guidance and support in insuring that our campus community receives every advantage possible for storm readiness.
“Alcorn developed plans for severe weather, installed weather radios, and also disseminates forecast products from the National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi, throughout the campus via several different methods,” White explained as he addressed the importance of preparation and education prior to inclement weather.
A ceremony marking this achievement was held this morning on the campus of Alcorn State University. This makes 53 StormReady designations in Mississippi, including 26 counties, 17 communities, five universities, four military sites and one governmental site.
“Severe weather is constantly threatening our state, and this designation proves that Alcorn State University is taking the threat seriously,” said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Robert Latham. “I urge other academic institutions, counties and communities to follow the example that has been set by Alcorn State today, and all 52 other entities that have received this designation.”
StormReady is a nationwide program of the National Weather Service that helps communities protect their citizens during severe weather and encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations.
To be recognized as StormReady, a community must:??
Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center.
Have 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.
Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
To learn more about the StormReady program, visit www.stormready.noaa.gov .
-ALCORN-
Alcorn State University is a premier comprehensive land-grant university that develops diverse students into globally competitive leaders, and applies scientific research through collaborative partnerships that benefit the surrounding communities, state, nation, and world.
