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May 10, 2010

NWS: 网曝门 is 鈥渓eading the pack鈥� with 鈥淪tormReady鈥� designation

The National Weather Service officially announced on Monday that the University of Louisiana at Monroe has met NWS criteria for the reception and dissemination of emergency weather information and preparedness activities.

Being a StormReady庐 University means 网曝门 is the first campus in the state to take the initiative to ensure its faculty, students, and infrastructure are prepared to deal with deadly and destructive severe weather events.

鈥淥ne of the things we are here to do is make history,鈥� said Armando L. Garza, meteorologist in charge of the Weather Forecast Office in Shreveport. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big achievement 鈥� you all are leading the pack.鈥�

网曝门 is designated StormReady庐 through 2013.

鈥淚t seems fitting we are doing this because we offer the only atmospheric sciences program in the state,鈥� said Eric Pani, associate provost and vice president of academic affairs at 网曝门. 鈥淚鈥檓 really pleased to see this happen.鈥�

Warning Coordination Meteorologist Keith Stellman, who earned his bachelor鈥檚 of science degree in atmospheric sciences from 网曝门 in 1996, recently returned to his alma mater to conduct training for 网曝门 Police Chief Larry Ellerman and other officers.

Stellman explained that StormReady, a voluntary program, was started by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Tulsa on the late 1990s to educate communities about storm safety. It is expanding nationwide in an effort to spread information about severe weather preparedness and what to do when severe weather strikes.

The criteria includes such things as having a 24-hour Warning Point and/or Emergency Operations Center, placing weather radios in all locally owned government facilities, and maintaining NWS trained spotter networks.
Ellerman spearheaded the recognition effort on behalf of 网曝门.

鈥淭his partnership with the NWS represents our efforts to serve the 网曝门 community and ensure its safety,鈥� said Ellerman. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be the first school in Louisiana to receive this designation and look forward to working with the NWS in the future.鈥�

鈥淭hank you to our students who are here today; this is for you as well because you never know when severe weather is going to happen,鈥� said Pani, before reflecting a moment, then adding with a smile, 鈥淲ait, our people are now storm spotter ready, so they will know!鈥�

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