CAMP HUMPHREYS - The U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security has learned Camp Humphreys was the first international U.S. military installation to be named "StormReady" and "TsunamiReady" by the U.S. National Weather Service.
The Storm/Tsunami Ready programs are newly established to assist countries, territories, states, and Department of Defense installations to develop and better prepare for all hazards and destructive weather events. Among others, the city of Los Angeles was recently recognized as well.
This also aligns with the new DoD and Department of the Army Installation Emergency Management guidelines, according to Mark Cox, DPTMS director.
Before granting this status to the garrison, program administrators conducted a rigorous and thorough process to assess the garrison's capabilities. They assessed the garrison's ability to prepare for, and respond to, destructive weather such as typhoons, snowstorms,
flooding, tornados, heavy precipitation and yellow dust storms.
How the garrison handles the various severe weather events each year, such as typhoons, winter storms, severe thunderstorms and monsoonal rains and flooding, were all evaluated.
In the research for this assessment, there was only one account of a tsunami occurring near USAG Humphreys. On May 4, 2008, there was a report of a tsunami impacting the ferry boat pier in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, which resulted in 20 deaths.
"To be recognized as the first DoD overseas Storm/Tsunami Ready installation is a testament to the teamwork and partnership between the garrison and the mission units," Cox said.
In a letter to the garrison, Chris Maier, a national warning coordination meteorologist and manager of this program, wrote "USAG Humphreys is only the third international location to be recognized, and this is clearly a result of the vision, leadership, hard work and commitment of DPTMS to the USAG Humphreys community."
Besides adding his congratulations, Maier said that "your emergency management program is exemplary and that the National Weather Service is proud to have you as a part of the growing StormReady and TsunamiReady
family."
The recognitions are valid for three years.
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