National Weather Service names BGSU StormReady University

BGSU fifth university in Ohio to receive recognition

More than 90 percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather-related. To help guard against the effects of severe weather, the National Weather Service has designated the voluntary StormReady program, which provides a standard level of emergency preparedness for hazardous weather.

On March 22, the National Weather Service presented Bowling Green State University with a StormReady University designation. The University is only the fifth in Ohio – the first in northwest Ohio – to receive this recognition.

“Bowling Green State University is proud to be recognized by the National Weather Service as a StormReady University, the first university in northwest Ohio,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “It is a priority to provide an effective level of preparedness to ensure the safety of our learning community during hazardous weather conditions.”

The StormReady certification process requires communities and universities to meet guidelines established by the National Weather Service in partnership with federal, state and local emergency management professionals. The program has several goals, including improving the timeliness and effectiveness of hazardous weather warnings for the public.

Requirements for this designation include enhanced emergency management efforts in the areas of communication, information reception, hydrometeorological monitoring, local warning dissemination and community preparedness. A site visit is also required and includes a review of the applicant’s hazardous weather plan.

“Working on the StormReady University plan has allowed the BGSU Department of Public Safety to enhance and build additional relationships with numerous public and private partners to better prepare the population in which we serve,” said Matt Keefe, manager of support services, BGSU Department of Public Safety. “We have been able to improve our severe weather warning notifications through this program and will continue to seek new and innovative ways to protect students, faculty, staff and guests at BGSU.” 

March 17-23 was Ohio’s Severe Weather Awareness Week.

As part of BGSU’s efforts to become StormReady, the University distributed more than 100 emergency alert weather radios, which provide the campus community with timely severe weather warnings, throughout campus buildings, complementing the University’s AlertBG system.