The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) today joined NWS officials and local partners from Caroline and Kent Counties to announce the milestone at the recently erected Mesonet tower adjacent to Ridgely Elementary School in Caroline County. The tower is one of 70 planned weather data collection stations across the State and the first on the upper Eastern Shore. It is a partnership between MDEM and the University of Maryland’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science.

“Becoming StormReady is a significant milestone for our State and a crucial step for our local governments and partners to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors,” said Emergency Management Secretary, Russ Strickland. “I extend my sincere appreciation to Caroline and Kent counties, as well as all our local jurisdictions in Maryland, for their commitment to this endeavor. Special thanks are due to our local emergency managers for their dedicated efforts in guiding their communities through the process. Together, with our expanding network of Mesonet towers, we’re diligently working to enhance Marylanders’ safety against natural hazards.”

To qualify as StormReady, a community must: establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center; have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts to alert the public; create a system that monitors weather conditions locally; promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars; and develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

The project in Maryland was supported by the three NWS Forecast Offices serving the State: Baltimore-Washington in Sterling, VA, serving all counties west of the Chesapeake plus Cecil County; Mount Holly, NJ, near Philadelphia, serving Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties; and Wakefield, VA, serving Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. StormReady traces its roots to a program called StormWise, which was started in 1998 by NWS Tulsa, Oklahoma in the area known as “Tornado Alley,” and was renamed StormReady in 2002.

“As a native Marylander, I am pleased that Maryland is one of the first StormReady states in the Nation,” said James E. Lee, Meteorologist-In-Charge at the Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office. “It speaks to the dedication of the partnership between all of the local jurisdictions in Maryland, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, and the National Weather Service, with the shared goal to keep Marylanders safe from the multitude of weather threats we may experience.”

The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines. For more information, visit the StormReady website.

In addition to Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City, other StormReady entities in the state include Ocean City; University of Maryland College Park; and Six Flags America in Prince George’s County. StormReady supporters are organizations, businesses, or facilities actively engaged in weather safety and preparedness but are unable to meet all the requirements of the full StormReady program, and include Arundel Mills Mall in Anne Arundel County, Clarksburg Premium Outlets in Montgomery County, Hagerstown Premium Outlets in Washington County, Queenstown Premium Outlets in Queen Anne’s County, and Towson University in Baltimore County. Other states with total StormReady participation include Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.

The Mesonet site is one of 10 now operational around Maryland that provides near real-time weather information and data collection. This Mesonet tower station, currently the Easternmost site in Maryland, can also be valuable in providing real-time weather information for storms heading east toward our neighbors in Delaware. Other towers already serving the region include Wye Mills in Queen Anne’s County and Easton in Talbot County.

The Maryland Mesonet’s mission is to design, build, and operate a network of high-quality, closely spaced, rapid-sampling weather monitoring and data collection systems across the State to advance emergency preparedness, the accuracy of regional weather forecasts, and expedite disaster assessment and recovery.

Each mesonet site measures air temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, rainfall, snow depth, and soil moisture and temperature at five depths, most at one-minute intervals. The measurements are sent to data servers at the University of Maryland using cellular transmission. The automatic quality-controlled observations are transmitted in near real-time to the NWS and simultaneously available to emergency management personnel and the public from the Mesonet website.

MDEM reminds Maryland residents and visitors to have multiple ways to receive alerts. For more information, visit MDEM’s website at mdem.maryland.gov, follow MDEM’s Twitter feed at @MDMEMA, or follow MDEM’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MDMEMA. To receive alerts, tips, and resources related to threats and hazards affecting or that may affect Maryland, text MdReady to 211-631 or text MdListo for Spanish.

**PHOTO BELOW: Speakers gather after the press conference. From left to right: Maryland Mesonet Manager James Hyde; Kent County Administrator Shelley Heller; Caroline County Emergency Management Division Chief Doug Jones; National Weather Service (NWS) Director Ken Graham; and Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) Secretary Russ Strickland**

Both of those training exercises took place while MDEM continued to support the State response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and the subsequent reduction of activity at the Port of Baltimore.

“Participation in exercises like the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Exercise not only evaluates our readiness but also strengthens our ability to protect our communities in times of crises,” stated Secretary Russ Strickland of MDEM. “We can’t take a break from training and exercising, even if we are actively involved in a response or activation of our State Emergency Operations Center. Our collaboration with federal, State, and local partners ensures that we are well-prepared to mitigate the impact of any potential nuclear incident and safeguard the well-being of our residents.”

MDEM’s proactive engagement in emergency exercises, such as PBEX and SAREX, reflects its commitment to public safety and enhancing interagency collaboration. The radiological exercise, referred to as PBEX, also included the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), officials in Cecil and Harford counties, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), and local officials in southern Pennsylvania. The exercise was evaluated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The exercise underscored the critical importance of preparedness for all hazards, including nuclear power plant incidents, and assessed the response capabilities of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Maryland within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone surrounding Peach Bottom, in Delta, Pa., along the Susquehanna River.

SAREX was a collaborative effort, simulating a response for a hypothetical flood and bridge failure on the Potomac and C&O Canal. MDEM helped coordinate the event, which included the Maryland State Police (MSP), Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Police, Maryland National Guard (MDNG), CSX, and rescue teams and other officials from Frederick and Washington counties. Numerous other water rescue teams from around Maryland simulated a robust mutual aid response to rescue dozens of “victims” by boat, helicopter, and land search teams with K9s and mounted teams. SAREX exemplified the importance of interagency coordination and preparedness in managing emergencies.

MDEM reminds Maryland residents and visitors to have multiple ways to receive alerts. For more information, residents can also go to MDEM’s website at mdem.maryland.gov, follow MDEM’s Twitter feed at @MDMEMA, or follow MDEM’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MDMEMA. To receive alerts, tips, and resources related to threats and hazards affecting or that may affect Maryland, text MdReady to 211-631 or text MdListo for Spanish.

REISTERSTOWN, MD (April 9, 2024) — Maryland residents are invited to participate in the Great Maryland Twister Test on Wednesday, April 10, to practice what to do in case the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a tornado warning. The 10 a.m. drill is being coordinated by the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), NWS, and other partners as part of the 2024 Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week, April 8-14, 2024.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 10, the NWS will issue a statement over National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radios about the tornado drill. Be aware, while an Emergency Alert System (EAS) test code will precede this message, that Required Monthly Test (RMT) code may not trigger some weather radios. This test code will also not trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts over cell phones. Schools, businesses, community groups, and individuals can practice what to do when a tornado warning is issued by NWS. While everyone is encouraged to participate in the drill Wednesday at 10 a.m., you can practice at other times too. Families, for example, might want to practice when everyone is at home.

“Whether you are in school, at work, or at home, knowing the safest place to go during a tornado warning is vital,” said MDEM Secretary Russ Strickland. “Tornadoes strike with little or no warning, so knowing how to receive a warning and quickly move to safety is essential.”

During Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week Residents Encouraged to Participate in Statewide Tornado Drill on April 10

REISTERSTOWN, MD (April 8, 2024) — The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are urging residents to be aware of the most common spring weather hazards and how to prepare for and protect against them during Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week, April 8-14. Maryland residents and visitors are also invited to practice what to do in the event of a tornado as part of the Great Maryland Twister Test at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 10.

“Let’s unite as a community to embrace preparedness and resilience in the face of spring’s unpredictable weather,” urged MDEM Secretary Russ Strickland. “By staying informed, having a plan, and practicing safety measures, we empower ourselves to mitigate the impact of storms and protect our loved ones. Together, let’s be MdReady and weather any challenge that comes our way.”

Marylanders are also encouraged to install the MdReady WebApp, which gives instant access to a wide array of emergency notifications and preparedness information to residents and visitors. To install the new WebApp, users can visit MdReady.maryland.gov and follow the prompt to easily add the MdReady shortcut to a mobile device home screen or to sign up for text alerts in English or Spanish (coming later in April, users will be able to choose from 178 languages).

During Severe Storms Awareness Week, MDEM will devote special days to cover information about flooding, damaging winds, tornadoes, hail, and lightning.

The theme on Monday, April 8, is flooding, generally the most common weather hazard in Maryland. Most flood fatalities in Maryland have happened when people try to drive, walk, or swim across flood waters. If you see standing water on a roadway or bridge, it is often not possible to tell how deep the water is or how quickly it is flowing. Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

On Tuesday, April 9, the focus is damaging winds. While many people focus on swirling tornadic winds, straight-line winds and downbursts can also cause serious damage. Much of the damage from the derecho storm in the summer of 2012 was caused by straight-line winds.

On Wednesday, April 10, Marylanders are invited by MDEM and the NWS to practice what to do in the case of an actual Tornado Warning during the Great Maryland Twister Test tornado drill. At 10 a.m., the NWS will issue a statement over National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radios about the tornado drill. Be aware, while an Emergency Alert System (EAS) test code will precede this message, that Required Monthly Test (RMT) code may not trigger some weather radios. This test code will also not trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts over cell phones.

The NWS Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office, which covers most Maryland jurisdictions, is coordinating this statement and drill in conjunction with their colleagues at NWS Mount Holly (PA), which covers Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, and NWS Wakefield (VA) which handles Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. While Maryland schools, businesses, and organizations can drill at 10 a.m., they are encouraged to practice their tornado drill any time that day.

Dangers from hail will be the focus on Thursday, April 11. Hail is a ball of ice formed in the extreme turbulence of strong thunderstorms as rain freezes and re-freezes, sometimes allowing the ice to grow as large as the size of softballs. Hail is formed only in strong, dangerous storms, and the larger the hail, the more dangerous the storm. If you witness hail, get indoors as soon as possible.

On Friday, April 12, the theme is lightning safety. More than 98 percent of lightning casualties are suffered by people outdoors. The most frequent fatalities come outside of the rain area. Lightning can strike more than 10 miles away from where rain is falling. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. When Thunder Roars, Head Indoors. 

“The majority of Maryland’s weather-related damage comes from thunderstorms and tornadoes,” said James E. Lee, Meteorologist in Charge of the NWS Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office (WFO). “The NWS Baltimore/Washington WFO typically identifies hazardous weather threats minutes in advance, then immediately issues severe weather warnings. It is vital that Marylanders receive our warnings and rapidly respond to get out of harm’s way. Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week reminds people to develop a response plan, then practice the plan during the tornado drill.”

Visit our Severe Storms Awareness Week page for more information: mdem.maryland.gov/Pages/severe-storms-week.aspx. To find more preparedness information for severe storms and other hazards, please visit the following websites: MdReady.maryland.gov, or Ready.gov. To receive text alerts, tips, and resources related to threats and hazards that may affect Maryland, text “MdReady” to 211-631, or text “MdListo” to receive alerts in Spanish.