The National Weather Service officially recognized the City of
Wichita Falls as a StormReady Community on
June 15, 2006. Being a StormReady Community does not mean that a community is storm proof but it does recognize that Wichita Falls is prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through better planning, education, and awareness. No Community is storm proof but StormReady communities save lives.
Wichita Falls had to accomplish the following in order to be recognized as a StormReady Community:
- Establish a 24-hour warning point and an Emergency Operations Center.
- Have multiple methods to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings and multiple methods to alert the public, including a newly acquired Emergency Alert System.
- Promote the importance of public readiness though public education.
- Develop a formal hazardous weather plan that includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
The City of
Wichita Falls is proud of its recognition as a StormReady Community but recognizes that continued efforts to make the community safer can and will be made in the future. However, we also recognized that as no community is ever 100% storm proof, it is through the individual efforts of each individual and each family to provide for their own preparedness that truly make this or any community StormReady.