Humble ISD and the City of Humble were honored by the National Weather Service during the Aug. 10 Board meeting for earning StormReady status. Pictured from left are James Nykaza, Chief Fire Marshal/Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Humble; Dean Herbst, Humble ISD Assistant Director of Emergency Management and Safety; Solomon Cook, Humble ISD Police Chief; Martina Lemond Dixon, School Board President; Dr. Elizabeth Fagen, Superintendent. Also joining virtually was Dan Reilly, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service (pictured on screen in background).
by Christopher Guillory | August 12, 2021
Humble ISD and the city of Humble have earned StormReady certification from the National Weather Service. The distinction is awarded to communities and organizations across the country that demonstrate severe weather readiness through communication, mitigation, and community preparedness to save lives.
“Humble ISD and the city of Humble worked in a coordinated effort to seek certification at the same time,” Dean Herbst, Humble ISD Assistant Director of Emergency Management and Safety, said. “We did this knowing how our two organizations work together to assist our citizens during emergencies and can support one another through resource allocation.”
To be considered StormReady, a community must establish an around-the-clock warning point and emergency operations center, have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts to alert the public, create a system that monitors local weather conditions, promote public readiness, and develop a hazardous weather plan.
The program is designed to reduce fatalities, injuries, and minimize property damage through distribution, receipt, and effective communication of hazardous weather and flood warnings between the National Weather Service, emergency management, and families.
Humble ISD and the city of Humble join 14 other StormReady Houston area cities and four colleges, including the University of Houston, Texas A&M Galveston, San Jacinto College, and College of the Mainland.
“The district may now be eligible for a discount under the National Flood Insurance Program managed by FEMA,” Herbst said. “Humble ISD’s and the city of Humble’s emergency preparedness operations may also be eligible for upgrades.”
Benefits also extend beyond being prepared for weather emergencies.
“The goal is to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, resource allocation and management of those resources,” Herbst said.