FOR THE GAZETTE

STEVENS POINT — The Stevens Point Area Public School District (SPAPSD) has met the criteria and qualifications required to be recognized as a StormReady School District by the National Weather Service (NWS).

According to the NWS, some 98 percent of all Presidentially-declared disasters are weather-related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $15 billion in damage. The StormReady program encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improve local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations.

Being StormReady means that the Stevens Point Area Public School District leaders have taken the initiative to ensure that the faculty, students, support personnel, and visitors are prepared to deal with deadly, destructive severe weather events. They have done this by meeting established National Weather Service criteria for the reception and dissemination of emergency weather information activities for each and every one of their schools.

Cory Hirsbrunner, superintendent of SPAPSD, said, “We are honored to receive the StormReady designation from the National Weather Service. The safety of our students, staff, and community is our priority, and this designation is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our safety and building leaders.”

The StormReady designation is valid for three years, after which SPAPSD will undergo a renewal process to ensure that it continues to meet the program’s standards.

For more information about the StormReady program, visit the National Weather Service’s website at www.weather.gov/stormready.