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North Port earns StormReady renewal from National Weather Service through 2029
Summary
City officials accepted renewal of the National Weather ServiceStormReady recognition at the July 3 commission meeting, citing updated severe-weather plans and ongoing cooperation with the NWS after recent hurricanes.
The City Commission of North Port on July 3 accepted a presentation marking renewal of the National Weather ServiceStormReady recognition for the city, a designation that runs through March 7, 2029.
The renewal ceremony, presented during the commissionregular meeting, recognized the cityfor updating its severe-weather plans, public-education efforts and coordination with the National Weather Service (NWS). Deputy Emergency Manager Mike Nevarez led the cityeffort that produced the renewal, and NWS meteorologist Jennifer Hubbard addressed the commission about the partnership that underpins the designation.
The StormReady program encourages communities to strengthen hazardous-weather operations and public awareness, the NWS said. North Port first won the StormReady recognition in February 2014 and has completed several renewals since then. Nevarez said the renewal process began in June and that Hurricane Ian in 2022, and the active hurricane season the following year, underscored the importance of maintaining updated plans and lines of communication.
—We have ensured the city has updated our severe weather plans, and we have them in place,— Nevarez said, adding the city increased public-safety education and deepened direct relationships with the NWS to improve watches and warnings.
Jennifer Hubbard, a meteorologist with the NWS Ruskin office, said working with North Port during renewals has helped the forecast office learn more about the citycanal system and flooding vulnerabilities, and she pledged continued, around-the-clock support for local forecasts and warnings.
Hubbard noted the national scale of severe-weather impacts: the StormReady program now covers more than 3,300 communities nationwide and emphasizes preparedness for flooding and other hazards that have produced multi-billion-dollar disasters. She said the cityrecognition will next be reviewed in four years.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the renewal during the presentation; the item was recorded as a recognition and staff thanked the NWS and local emergency personnel for their work.
The city will remain StormReady through March 7, 2029, according to the presentation.
