TAMPA, Fla. — It's official — The Florida Aquarium is ready to weather any storm.
The Tampa-based aquarium recently received its "StormReady" certification from the National Weather Service. That means, according to federal forecasters, The Florida Aquarium has taken the proper steps to ensure its team has the communication and safety skills to save lives and protect property before, during and after a storm.
The aquarium says it has met the following criteria for the "StormReady" certification:
- Establishing a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center
- Implementing multiple methods to receive severe weather warnings to alert the public
- Creating a system to monitor local weather conditions
- Promoting public readiness through community seminars
- Developing a formal hazardous weather plan, including training severe weather spotters, conducting emergency exercises and organizing an annual hurricane preparedness drill for staff
More specifically, the aquarium uses text messages, emails and radio broadcasts to alert its staff and volunteers of lightning, severe weather, tornado warnings and extreme wind conditions. It also recently hosted a session to train staff and community members on how to spot severe weather.
“This certification is an honor and is a testament to our dedication to storm preparedness and is essential as communities face increasing vulnerability to severe weather and water events," Nicole Padron, The Florida Aquarium's director of safety, said in a statement.
The Florida Aquarium is just one of 164 sites across Florida to earn the certification and the only aquarium in the state to do so.
News of the "StormReady" certification comes as the peak of hurricane season is fast approaching. Forecasters recently shared how many storms we should expect for the remaining months of the season.
You can find more information on protecting yourself during hurricane season in our series "Hurricane Hacks."