Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City, Utah, have recognized Tooele County as Utah’s first StormReady location. Tooele County joins the growing number of communities recognizing the value of the StormReady program in preparing for and protecting their citizens. Thus far, 620 communities in 46 states have become part of this NOAA program. NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce.

A presentation took place in the Tooele County Courthouse today when representatives from the National Weather Service commended the county’s efforts to enhance its hazardous weather operations.

The StormReady program gives communities the skills and education to deal with severe weather - before and during the event. StormReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen their local hazardous weather operations by ensuring that they have the tools needed to receive life saving NOAA National Weather Service warnings in the quickest time possible.

"The National Weather Service recognized Tooele County for the wide variety of disaster resistant projects that help prepare their citizens and emergency responders for severe weather and flood threats as well as significant winter weather," said Salt Lake City NOAA National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Meteorologist in Charge, Larry Dunn. "Tooele County is the first jurisdiction in the state of Utah to receive this formal certification. The StormReady certification for Tooele County will be in effect for three years, until the summer of 2006."

More than 40,000 people live in Tooele County and they, along with those who visit and travel through the county, will benefit from the efforts of the county and the NOAA National Weather Service to warn those who might be in harm’s way during any severe or winter weather event," said David Toronto, warning coordination meteorologist at the NOAA National Weather Service office in Salt Lake. "StormReady is a great example of federal, state, and local governments working together to prepare counties and communities for all kinds of severe weather."

Storm Ready Communities

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