Lander County is now a StormReady community, certified by the National Weather Service, meaning certain measures are in place to help the county protect residents should storms or other disasters strike.
The NWS-certified Lander County for having a state-of-the-art communication infrastructure as well as an emergency action plan, said Michael Fitzsimmons, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS in Elko.
Representatives of the NWS presented signs and a certificate to Lander County officials at the Feb. 13 commission meeting, stating the county is StormReady. The signs will be posted around town.
StormReady benefits consist of being able to attract tourists and new residents to the area who will see the StormReady signs and know Battle Mountain has taken measures to be prepared should a major storm, natural disaster or emergency occur.
"For instance, as you come into the county and it says 'StormReady,' and it's getting to the point after 15 years or so where citizens recognize what StormReady means, so when you drive into a county, they're confident that this county has done everything it can to make its citizenry safe and people who recreate in the county are safe as well," Brian Boyd, senior meteorologist and Outreach Team vice lead for the weather service, said during a PowerPoint presentation to Lander County commissioners Jan. 5.
The designation may also lower some homeowners' insurances, Boyd said.
The StormReady steps consisted of readying the county and specific entities to provide emergency information to citizens and having people relay real time information to the weather service.
Boyd said Jan. 5 the weather service has been offering free local weather spotting classes in the north and south ends of the county and will continue to do so.
"The StormReady program ensures that the county and other entities within it are prepared sociologically, economically and physically to relay that information and receive it from us in real time," Boyd said.
In Lander County, the weather service coordinated with the Local Emergency Planning Committee and other entities such as the school district, the sheriff's office and Battle Mountain General Hospital. He said the hospital and school district now have National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios that automatically broadcast alerts for emergencies at their main offices.
Boyd told commissioners LEPC has the most detailed and well-thought emergency action plan he has seen in his 25 years in the weather field.
The program is designed to be at little or no cost to the counties. He said that the weather service paid for most of the radios that were given out with LEPC contributing a small amount for spares.[[In-content Ad]]
