Town of Owego receives StormReady certification

By JoAnn R. Walter —

The Town of Owego received the “StormReady Community Status Award” from the National Weather Service on Nov. 8. A press conference was held at the Shared Services Building, located at 2372 State Rte. 434 in Apalachin, N.Y. The public was invited to tour the facility.

Attending the presentation were Town of Owego Supervisor Donald Castellucci and Planning and Zoning Administrator and Emergency Manager Bill Carrigg. Special guests representing the National Weather Service (NWS) in Binghamton, N.Y. were Mark Pellerito, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, and Ben Lott, Meteorologist and StormReady Team Leader.

Also attending were several county officials and personnel, fire chiefs, emergency first responders, and community residents.

The StormReady certification signifies the Town of Owego’s dedication to their ongoing hazardous weather preparedness efforts.

The StormReady status is extended to communities that have prepared for weather events such as flooding, snowstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

The Town of Owego has met or exceeded the program’s criteria, including communications, warning reception, warning dissemination, monitoring weather, training, and more.

Castellucci thanked Carrigg for working diligently on the project and recalling the devastating impact of the 2006 and 2011 floods, remarked, “We learned that we needed better ability to respond quickly, make informed decisions, and affirm public safety. Since that time, we have improved our response, and we have acquired the tools we need to be better equipped for an emergency,” adding, “We are much more prepared than we were in 2006 and 2011.”

A critical part of that preparation is the new Emergency Operations Center.

Pellerito explained that the StormReady program started in 1999, and currently, 90% of all presidential disaster declarations are related to weather.

Pellerito noted, “At the NWS, our number one goal is the protection of life and property, and it’s also emergency management,” and where, he said, mitigation is key, as well as forming partnerships with StormReady communities.

Referring to western North Carolina that was disastrously affected by Hurricane Helene, Pellerito emphasized, “We are less than 450 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and as we saw in 2011, we can have remnants of a hurricane here.”

Pellerito expressed, “During all of our interactions with the Town of Owego, your dedication to safety and love for the Town and its residents was unmistakable. Thank you for your partnership and commitment.”

Carrigg thanked the NWS for its guidance and assistance with the process, and extended thanks to town officials, fire chiefs, and others gathered at the event for their support.

Thomas McCartney, the former Regional Director of NYS Emergency Management, who is now retired, continues his community service as an emergency manager for the Town of Vestal. The Town of Vestal previously received the StormReady award.

McCartney offered, “The Town of Owego adopted an emergency plan that is consistent with other communities, so it dovetails together with things happening in Vestal,” adding, “We can communicate seamlessly to Owego, and the partnership we have is tied together with StormReady, and that collaboration makes for safer communities.”    

For more information, visit https://weather.gov/stormready.