National Weather Service Recognizes Howard County

Howard County has been named a StormReady community by the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS bestows the "StormReady" designation upon jurisdictions prepared to meet weather challenges head-on.

In part, Howard County received the designation because of its new NotifyMeHoward system, according to a press release from Howard County Government.

NotifyMeHoward, which launched in mid-November, is a free service that sends things like weather alerts directly to people's inboxes or mobile devices.

In addition to a notification system, StormReady-designated communities must have a 24-hour "warning point" to receive NWS information and provide local reports and advice on weather conditions, according to the statement.

Read the complete press release to learn all about the designation and the benefits of NotifyMeHoward.

To sign up for NotifyMeHoward, visit www.notifymehoward.org and click “Sign Me Up” near the bottom of the page or the frequently asked questions (FAQ) tab.

Subscribers may also sign up through rapid enrollment by texting HOWARD to 411911; subscribers who use rapid enrollment will get tornado warnings and anything else sent to "All Subscribers.”