Oklahoma Climatological Survey to Host Town Hall Meeting on Drought
May 25, 2010
 townhall_drought.doc townhall_drought.pdf
Norman, OK - The Oklahoma Climatological Survey in association with the National Drought Mitigation Center and Illinois State Water Survey is launching a new "drought ready communities" program. Norman is among the first communities in the nation that has been asked to participate in the program. To begin steps toward obtaining this first in the nation certification, OCS is hosting a town hall meeting on Thursday, June 3 at 6:00 p.m. at the National Weather Center at Highway 9 and Jenkins in Norman.
Becoming drought ready entails:
- developing a leadership team
- gathering information on water sources and uses
- establishing a local monitoring process
- developing a communication plan
- community education and outreach
- drought response planning
The town hall meeting will begin a dialogue on these topics, present supporting materials that have been developed, and provide an opportunity for discussion about how drought may affect Norman.
Even though it has been a while since Norman has been in drought, we know that the next one may be just around the corner. Think back to 2006 and all the concerns we had about our water supplies. Becoming drought ready will assure that the next time drought strikes Norman, our community will have an early warning system to detect it and lessen its impacts.
The meeting is open to the public. Anyone at-risk for water shortages, including residents, businesses, and city agencies, should become involved so that your needs and perspectives are represented. Those who have attended the recent Sustainable Water Resource Forum will find this a nice companion to the process.
We encourage participants to register in advance by contacting the Oklahoma Climatological Survey at 325-2541 or drought@mesonet.org.
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