Since 2002, Douglas County has been recognized by the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Colorado Office of Emergency Management (OEM) as being a “Storm Ready” County.
Storm Ready is a nationwide program that began in the summer of 2000. It is a voluntary program designed to help counties and communities take a proactive approach to the types and kinds of severe weather that affect their areas by improving local hazardous weather operations and heightening public awareness.
To be named “Storm Ready,” a county must first meet a set of criteria that includes:
- A 24-hour warning point to receive NWS information and provide local reports and advice.
- an Emergency Operations Center that is staffed during hazardous weather events.
- a number of ways to receive NWS warnings.
- A number of ways to monitor hydrometerological data.
- A number of ways to disseminate warnings.
In addition, the county must be proactive in community preparedness and hold annual weather safety talks, storm spotter and dispatcher training biennially, and host/co-host annual NWS spotter training. The county must also have a formal hazardous weather operations plan and biennial visits by the emergency managers to the National Weather Service in Boulder.