Knox County has been designated a StormReady county by the National Weather Service office in Indianapolis.

The designation confirms the county has met national standards for severe weather preparedness, emergency communications capability, public alerting systems and hazardous weather planning.

The certification followed a site visit and evaluation conducted with assistance from Knox County Emergency Management Deputy Director Chance Westfall and Deputy Director Renee Schopmeyer.

Program requirements include a 24-hour warning point and emergency coordination capability, multiple methods to receive and distribute weather warnings, established hazardous weather response plans, coordination with trained weather spotters and ongoing public safety outreach.

Emergency Management Director John Streeter said severe weather is one of the most common hazards in Knox County, including tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, winter storms and flooding.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to register for Knox County’s CodeRED system to receive emergency notifications.