Pittsburgh Zoo named "StormReady" by National Weather Service
The Pittsburgh Zoo announced on Friday that it's now the first zoo in the state and fourth in the country to receive this designation from the National Weather Service.
Being StormReady will help keep staff in the know 24/7 and help them protect animals and people when bad weather rolls in.
May 17, 2024, was a particularly wild day at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.
"We were kind of closing up close to the end of the day here at the zoo. We had warnings go off on our phones and we had a few guests on the grounds. We did go ahead, and pull them into safety. We had animals that we were able once again to go ahead and get into safe areas. So we did absolutely see just a funnel cloud kind of going past here at the zoo," said Katie Hughes, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.
The NWS confirmed an EF0 tornado with 85 mph winds passed through the zoo that day, taking down trees and fences. The zoo's staff, visitors, and more than 8,000 animals were safe due to swift action.
Nearly a year later, the zoo is certified as StormReady by the National Weather Service. Hughes said they applied for the program because they already know what to do to protect lives when a storm strikes.
"We do have plenty of emergency procedures and we have ones for a variety of weather types, extreme heat, extreme cold, snow, heavy rain, flooding, and all of these things are things we already drill for and prepare for. And that aligns with the StormReady program," Hughes said.
She said partnering with the NWS takes their emergency readiness to the next level.
"We received some new radios that kind of give us some emergency alerts that come directly from them. We did join a few platforms that they have. So we're on some message boards and texts with them. And it is very nice now that we are in direct communication with the National Weather Service. We are able to share data with them. So, they share with us, we share back," said Hughes.
The Zoo was put to the test Sunday afternoon. Hazardous weather rolled through, and the zoo proved to be more ready than ever.
"They were calling for a severe weather warning in the area as well as a tornado watch....For any animals that shouldn't be out in weather like that, we have indoor areas to keep them safe and secure. And then we were also messaging to our guests. We did have a shelter in place for a period of time. So we made sure that guests were able to get to the shelter," said Hughes.
"Sure enough, we did have hail, minor debris down, a few things knocked over, but everybody got through it nice and safe," she added.
Being StormReady will especially also ensure the zoo is ahead of the game with forecasts for big events such as Summer Safari.
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