GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey knows that the key to being part of a “Weather-Ready” Nation is about preparing your community for its increasing vulnerability to extreme weather events. Not only do they extensively plan on how to respond and recover from various disasters, but also dedicate the time towards holding regular safety presentations and Code Red drives in order to educate the public about severe weather events.
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It’s probably no coincidence that the reason Godfrey’s Public Safety Administrator, Chris Sichra is so driven in his mission to protect village residents from the potential of severe weather is connected to the fact that as a kid he survived a late-night EF-3 tornado that struck Godfrey’s Camelot subdivision back in the early 1980’s.
The tornado badly damaged his and many of his neighbors’ homes and being unable to make it to the basement in time, he had to ride out the violent event ducked down on the floor of the upstairs hallway. That terrifying experience stuck with him the rest of his life and was one of the driving forces that steered him into the role today preparing his community for when the skies grow dark and those ominous clouds move in from the west.
On November 6th the village of Godfrey will be the latest community added to the National Weather Service’s short list of recognized ultra-prepared communities honored as a “StormReady” status city.
Americans live in the most severe, weather-prone country on Earth. Some 98 percent of all Presidentially declared disasters are weather related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $15 billion in damage. The National Weather Service’s “StormReady” program helps arm America's communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property - before, during and after the event. StormReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs.
The NWS “StormReady” program uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather—from tornadoes to tsunamis. The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations. Applying is easy. But to be officially StormReady, a community must:
- Establish and equip a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center.
- Have several ways to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public.
- Create a system that allows emergency managers to monitor weather conditions locally.
- Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars, safety talks and frequent Code Red drives.
- Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes working with trained severe weather spotters, monitoring amateur radio frequencies for field generated updates and regularly exercising that plan with training, drills, table top exercises and full-scale exercises.
Sichra added that the program couldn’t have come at a better time as a recent review of 40 years of NOAA research data has revealed new information that “tornado alley” could potentially be shifting eastward towards more populated areas, including Illinois.
Sichra explains the application process, first a formal application had to be filed by the municipality with the St Louis National Weather Service office. Upon receipt, NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Kevin Deitsch thoroughly reviews and vets the application, he then schedules a visit in person to the local municipality to meet the emergency management staff then reviews their comprehensive disaster plan and observes their local Emergency Operations Center as it is activated. The staff must also demonstrate that they understand the use of the technology and equipment in the EOC as he tours the facility. The evaluation also included a visit to the Madison County Emergency Management Agency to further review its capabilities and technology since all municipalities work closely with EMA staff in times of crisis. (Director Todd Fulton and Deputy Director Mary Kate Brown oversee the County’s EMA and operate the popular “Code Red” callback program) The County EMA also backs up local communities within their jurisdiction with assistance and resources during severe events that frequently affect the riverbend area, particularly after storms or during floods.
Kevin Deitsch, the National Weather Service’s Warning Coordination Meteorologist who inspected Godfrey’s facilities had this to say about their induction into the StormReady program:
"The National Weather Service is thrilled to add the Village of Godfrey as a StormReady City. To receive StormReady status a community must demonstrate an effective hazardous weather plan and multiple ways to monitor and warn the public of hazardous conditions. We were really impressed with Godfrey's comprehensive disaster plan, redundant warning methods, and high level of organization. The National Weather Service is very excited to formalize our partnership with Godfrey and we look forward to working together with them in building a Weather-Ready community."
Mayor McCormick has expressed great pride the in the transformative progress that the village ESDA (Emergency Services & Disaster Agency) program has undergone in the past several years, he states:
“Good disaster planning is more than just being prepared, it’s a key selling point towards community development and to its financial health. By strengthening our ESDA program we show our commitment to rapid recovery. By continually participating in these programs and receiving recognition we prove time and again that the bar is set high here in the village and we are willing to dedicate more time, effort and resources to rapidly restore continuity of service to the public more so than lesser prepared communities. Our goal is to not only enhance our existing resident’s quality of life but to also attract new residents and businesses with a pledge to getting things back to normal as quickly as possible following a disaster.”
To sign up to receive Code Red severe weather warnings through your cell phone you can use this link:
https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/68684CD288F8 or you can contact Chris Sichra directly at publicsafety@godfreyil.org for any questions or assistance.
For questions about the National Weather Service’s StormReady city program you can contact:
Kevin Deitsch-Warning Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service - St. Louis, MO. Office: (636)-441-8476 ext:726
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