NWS Declares Walt Disney World StormReady®

NWS Southern Region Director Bill Proenza (Right) presents StormReady sign to Walt Disney World® Resort Executive Vice President Lee A. Cockerell

(May 30, 2006) - The National Weather Service has recognized Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., as a StormReady® Community. As the first theme park and resort in the nation to achieve this recognition, Walt Disney World joins more than 1,050 StormReady communities throughout the United States.

The nationwide community preparedness program uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather and flooding threats. The program is voluntary and provides communities with clear-cut advice from the local National Weather Service forecast office and state and local emergency managers.

"StormReady encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations and public awareness in partnership with their local National Weather Service office," said Bill Proenza, director of the National Weather Service Southern Region. "StormReady helps communities improve communication and safety skills needed to save lives - before, during and after the event."

Located on 28,000 acres of land near Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971 with the Magic Kingdom theme park, hotels, campgrounds, golf courses and shopping villages. One of the most frequented vacation destinations in the world, the resort has its own emergency operations center, 24-hour warning capabilities and an amateur radio club.

"We appreciate this acknowledgement of our continuous efforts to ensure the year-round safety of our guests and cast members," said Lee A. Cockerell, executive vice president of operations for Walt Disney World. "Our partnerships with local, state and federal emergency management agencies are part of our overall safety strategy that enables us to provide our guests with the highest level of security and comfort possible."

Walt Disney World Resort is one of 70 StormReady designations in Florida. In a special ceremony at the resort, Cockerell was presented with a formal recognition letter and StormReady sign. The StormReady recognition will be in effect for three years as resort conducts the renewal process.

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