Severe Weather Awareness Week: Be Prepared, Stay Alert, Get Involved

Tennessee’s Severe Weather Awareness Week is Feb. 28, to Mar. 6, 2021, and Williamson County Emergency Management is using this week to promote preparedness to Tennesseans.
“As we experienced over the last week with extreme winter weather, severe weather can impact our community at any time. It is important that we all be prepared, stay alert and get involved in our communities ahead of these types of events,” says Emergency Management Director Todd Horton.
NWS offices in Nashville are planning a series of education and training events, using each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week to focus on a different severe weather threat. Information on the NWS activities is available at weather.gov/ohx/swaw2021.
A highlight of the week will be the statewide tornado drill NWS will conduct at 9:30 a.m., CST, on Wed., Mar. 3, 2020. The drill will also include a statewide test of NOAA weather radios.
Residents should also sign up for the Williamson County Emergency Alert System. This system is shared between the County, Spring Hill, Fairview, Thompson’s Station, Nolensville, Franklin and Brentwood. The sign up is available here: https://member.everbridge.net/3531635643383845/login
Some basic severe weather advice includes:

• Never venture into high water, either on foot or in a vehicle.
• If you’re outside and hear thunder, go indoors immediately.
• Go to a basement or an innermost first floor room in your home if you’re told to take shelter during a tornado warning.
• Know the location of and route to your office or building’s tornado shelter if available.
• Emergency plans should include where to meet, and who family members should check in with if you are separated from each other during a severe weather emergency.

At a minimum, emergency preparedness kits should include one gallon of water per-day, per-person, and per-pet, for three to five days. The kit should also have enough non-perishable food for each family member and pet, for three to five days. Other items that every kit should include: flashlight, battery-powered radio, extra batteries, first aid kit, personal hygiene items, cell phone charger or solar charger, copies of important family documents, and extra supplies of medications, especially for those with chronic health conditions.

Additional resources are available:

• ready.gov
• emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/kit/disasters
• http://www.sba.gov/managing-business/running-business/emergency-preparedness