As Bertha swirls in the Atlantic Ocean, far from the coast of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University sits ready in case of a storm.

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has named the college “StormReady.” StormReady is a nationwide community preparedness program that uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather – from tornadoes to tsunamis.

“Florida Atlantic University has worked diligently throughout the years to enhance its all-hazards warning and response capabilities,” said Thomas Donaudy, vice president of facilities at FAU. “This award is an attestation of the effort to duty by our staff.”

The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations. FAU was recognized for its emergency management program and 24-hour warning point capabilities for severe weather.

The criteria to be me for StormReady are 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 and 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.