O’Fallon, Illinois – January 24, 2008 – Mayor Gary L. Graham is pleased to announce that the City of O’Fallon is now an official StormReady^® Community.   During the January 22 City Council Meeting, Jim Kramper, warning coordination meteorologist at the St. Louis forecast office, presented the City of O’Fallon with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) StormReady^® Community designation.  
 
“Residents and visitors in O’Fallon can feel more protected from severe weather now that the City has completed a set of rigorous warning criteria to earn the distinction of being StormReady^®,” said Mayor Graham.   

As part of the StormReady^® program, the City will be hosting a Spotter training class on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Public Safety Facility.  The training is free and is open to anyone residing in St. Clair County who would like to attend.  The training will last approximately two or two and one half hours and will cover the basic information needed for any person to become a certified spotter.  Attendees will learn how a storm develops, what features to look for, where to find them, and how and where to report the events.  All attendees will receive their spotter certification at the end of the class and the certification will be valid for two years.  No testing is required to earn the certification.

StormReady^® encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations and public awareness.  It also   arms communities with improved communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property, before and during severe weather and flood events.

The StormReady^® recognition will be in effect for three years, after which the City will go through a renewal process.  To be recognized as StormReady^®, a community must:

the public;

and hold emergency exercises.

The NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events.  Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

For more information on NOAA and their services, please visit:
http://weather.gov
http://weather.gov/stlouis
http://www.stormready.noaa.gov