Designation as a StormReady Community

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – June 5, 2018 – The Linn County Emergency Management Agency Commission was presented the 2018 StormReady designation on June 4 at a ceremony at the Linn County Emergency Management Agency.

This designation signifies that the plans, protocols and procedures are in place to warn our communities and prepare them for potential extreme weather and water events. To receive the StormReady designation a community must:

• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center
• Have more than one way 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.

“Being designated a StormReady community means we have the appropriate warning measures in place to keep our residents and Linn County safe. We are part of a group of counties and agencies teamed together to act on our mission of preparing for, responding to, recovering from and mitigating major emergencies,” said Linn County EMA Coordinator Steve O’Konek. 

Accepting the award for the Commission was EMA Chair Brian Gardner and Marion Fire Chief Deb Krebill, who is a commission member and Vice Chair of the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Presenting the award from the National Weather Service office located in the Quad Cities was Stephen Kuhl, Donna Dubberke and Rich Kinney.

For more information about the StormReady program visit: www.weather.gov/stormready