W.Va. Parkways Authority receives StormReady designation

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - The West Virginia Parkways Authority was recently designated as StormReady. The declaration was made during the Parkways Authority Board Meeting that was held at the Tamarack Conference Center on January 26, 2023.

The National Weather Service says this means the turnpike is ready to protect travelers against severe weather-related dangers.

Before receiving the designation, parkways officials installed weather stations at several maintenance garages across the state, including those in Beckley, Ghent and Princeton. These stations improve weather condition monitoring by reporting things like temperature, wind speed and rainfall in real-time.

It also assists snow and ice control crews, as well as meteorologists who are monitoring the forecasts.

Improved weather monitoring isn’t the only resource added by the parkways. The turnpike also integrated information on winter weather forecasting and communication into the Fall Snow and Ice Control Training and Incident Management workshops, which help inform crews and Turnpike Emergency Response agencies about weather conditions.

Those involved with the West Virginia Parkways Authority say being StormReady is about continuing to educate travelers and those included in weather safety.

StormReady is a community preparedness program founded in 1999. Currently, 22 West Virginia communities are involved in the program, making them better prepared for severe weather.

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