RCEMA Encourages Community Participation in Tennessee’s Severe Weather Awareness Week

Tennessee’s Severe Weather Awareness Week is Feb. 28 to Mar. 6, 2021, and Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency (RCEMA) is using this week to promote preparedness to the community.

“Be sure to check out RCEMA’s Facebook page this week for special tips and videos,” said Public Safety Director Chris Clark. “There is a different theme each day.”

NWS offices in Nashville, Memphis, Morristown, and Huntsville, Ala. 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. “We encourage our citizens to participate in the tornado drill,” said Clark. “Enlist the support of your workplace or tell your family and friends to join you.”

The drill will also include a statewide test of NOAA weather radios.

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.
• Never try to outrun a tornado.
• Have an emergency plan ready at places where your family spends time – work, school, daycare, commuting and outdoor events.
• Emergency plans should include where to meet, and who family members should check in with, if you are separated from family members 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 pets, 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