The Hanford Site recently hosted National Weather Service (NWS) Western Region Director Grant A. Cooper, who toured the site’s emergency operations center and meteorological station.
Office of Environmental Management
October 18, 2022
minute read time
From left, National Weather Service meteorologists Larry Nierenberg and Ed Townsend, and Western Region Director Grant A. Cooper view weather model capabilities available to Hanford Mission Integration Solutions Meteorologist Grant Gutierrez at the Hanford Site’s Emergency Operations Center.
RICHLAND, Wash. — The Hanford Site recently hosted National Weather Service (NWS) Western Region Director Grant A. Cooper, who toured the site’s emergency operations center and meteorological station.
The NWS has visited the Hanford Emergency Operations Center (EOC) multiple times this year, noting the team’s capabilities and resources as part of a successful effort to designate the Hanford Site as “StormReady.” StormReady is a voluntary program from the NWS intended to help emergency managers strengthen hazardous weather operations through communication, mitigation and community preparedness.
“It is important to strive for a StormReady designation because the team is already weather aware,” said Cooper.
The Hanford Site recently received a new road sign to display its "StormReady" status. Hanford Mission Integration Solutions employees accepted the sign, including, from left, Manager of Program Regulatory Compliance – Natural Phenomenon Aaron Fergusson, Meteorologist Grant Gutierrez, Vice President of Mission Assurance Darci Teel and Emergency Operations Manager Ted Morales.
One of the benefits of the StormReady designation is that if needed during a Hanford EOC activation, the NWS would deploy its meteorologists to support the Hanford team.
EM Richland Operations Office contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions manages both the Hanford Meteorological Station (HMS) and the Hanford EOC, and showcased the partnership forged between Hanford and the NWS.
“This not only demonstrates integration at the Hanford Site, but it also provides an important resource for the community and the region,” said Kyle Rankin, with the Nuclear Safety Division of the EM Office of River Protection.
In the past year, the NWS coordinated closely with the Hanford Site to verify a new high temperature record for Washington state, set at the HMS. It is a rare occurrence to have an accepted record from a station that is not run by the NWS. For its efforts in assisting with the temperature verification, the HMS team was previously named a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence.
One of the benefits of the StormReady designation is that if needed during a Hanford EOC activation, the NWS would deploy its meteorologists to support the Hanford team.
EM Richland Operations Office contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions manages both the Hanford Meteorological Station (HMS) and the Hanford EOC, and showcased the partnership forged between Hanford and the NWS.
“This not only demonstrates integration at the Hanford Site, but it also provides an important resource for the community and the region,” said Kyle Rankin, with the Nuclear Safety Division of the EM Office of River Protection.
In the past year, the NWS coordinated closely with the Hanford Site to verify a new high temperature record for Washington state, set at the HMS. It is a rare occurrence to have an accepted record from a station that is not run by the NWS. For its efforts in assisting with the temperature verification, the HMS team was previously named a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence.
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