FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — It’s a tornado, it’s an ice storm, no it’s large hail — people often talk about Missouri’s weather being able to change quickly from one extreme to another, but keeping the community safe under every weather condition is the goal of the Fort Leonard Wood Installation Operations Center.
To do this, the IOC has created the installation’s Destructive Weather Mitigation Operations program, also known as DWMO, to replace the Snow and Ice Removal, or SNAIR, program previously used on post.
According to Will Gregory, Emergency Management specialist with Fort Leonard Wood’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security — the agency that oversees the program — SNAIR changed to DWMO to broaden the program making it applicable to all seasons, not just winter weather.
Spring and summer operations will focus on flooding and storms with potential for large hail, tornadoes and strong winds. Winter operations will focus on snow, ice, strong winds, and extended periods of extreme cold.
Patrick Daniels, DPTMS deputy director, said winter is the time the installation will most use DWMO.
“The main purpose of DWMO in the winter is to keep everyone aware of current road conditions, manage removal of snow and ice and get the installation back to normal as soon as safely possible,” Daniels said.
DWMO is a cooperative effort between the installation’s garrison directorates and mission and brigade assets. It is facilitated by the IOC. Compiled weather information is provided via several venues, and drivers can check road conditions before operating their vehicles.
The Fort Leonard Wood Weather and Hazardous Conditions page is updated at 4 a.m. every day year-round and as weather conditions change.
“Road conditions on post are broken down by color-coded definitions to quickly tell drivers what to expect as the weather changes,” Daniels said. “On that web page, drivers can access facility closures, current road conditions, status of primary parking lots and more.”
Common Access Cardholders, their family members, long-term contractors, private organizations and tenants on the installation can also receive notifications on their phones via the ALERT! Mass Warning Notification System.
Instructions for setting up ALERT! notifications can be found on Fort Leonard Wood’s Weather and Hazardous Conditions page.
“The ALERT! system is our preferred method of publishing severe weather-related information,” Daniels said. “I would encourage everyone to go and sign up.”
Matthew Mertz, the installation emergency manager, agreed.
“The giant voice on the speakers notifies personnel outdoors and the little voice speakers notify personnel in buildings over a certain capacity,” Mertz said. “You can receive notifications from the ALERT! Mass Warning Notification System anywhere you are at, so ensure your personal information is updated.”
Other places to check for weather related updates include Fort Leonard Wood’s Facebook page.
“Missouri weather can vary greatly from one location to the next,” Daniels said. “For a good example — during one snow event, we had two inches on the north end of post and no snow at the south end. Everyone should take individual responsibility and be prepared for the ever-changing road conditions. Check your local conditions, the route conditions as well as the destination’s weather conditions.”
Another avenue of information is the Missouri Department of Transportation web page. Visitors to this site can click on the traveler info map and the icon for traffic cameras on the left of the page and can then select an area of I-44 to view live.
“For off-post commuters, this is the best way to check the road conditions that get you to the installation,” said Daniels, who added the best piece of advice regarding driving and winter weather is to plan a little extra time to get to work and slow down. “A couple extra minutes is not worth anyone’s life.”
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