Release:
Lowndes County Earns StormReady Community Designation by the National Weather Service
Lowndes County, Georgia: Lowndes County has been approved for renewal as a “StormReady Community” by the National Weather Service. Lowndes County was originally designated as StormReady in 2005 and has completed the renewal process every three years since their original designation in order to maintain their status.
StormReady is a nationwide community preparedness program that uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather- from hurricanes to tornadoes. 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.
In order to become StormReady, Lowndes County had to establish a 24-hour warning point and Emergency Operations Center, have multiple ways to receive notifications and alert the public of severe weather warnings and forecasts, create a system that monitors weather conditions locally, promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars, and develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises and pass a site-visit conducted by the National Weather Service & Georgia State Emergency Manager.
“Lowndes County takes weather very serious and being recognized again as a StormReady community showcases the exceptional work done by Lowndes County Emergency Management Director, Ashley Tye,” said Paige Dukes, Lowndes County Manager. “This recognition also validates all of the hard work that has been done to notify all Lowndes County citizens in advance, and during, a weather-related emergency,” said Dukes.
Lowndes County’s StormReady recognition is valid for just over four years. The recognition will expire on May 5, 2026. Visit the StormReady website at www.weather.gov/stormready to see Lowndes County on the map and read the latest information on StormReady. For more information on Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency visit www.lowndescounty.com.
