Severe Weather Awareness Week

This week is severe weather awareness week. This week, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has awareness about the risks associated with severe weather threats ahead of spring. The purpose of severe weather awareness week partnered with the National Weather Service (NWS) to increase is to help you get prepared in the event of a weather emergency, like the one this area experienced last September.

The National Weather Service says you should know what risks and potential hazards are near you and how to receive emergency alerts. They say you need to have an emergency plan with your family and that includes having an emergency kit, which should include enough supplies to last for three days. This includes things like water and non-perishable food. You should also have a kit for your car with items like Jumper cables, flares or reflective triangles and a cell phone charger.

A highlight of severe weather awareness week will be a statewide tornado drill. This will be at 10:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, February 19. The drill will also include a statewide test of NOAA weather radios. Schools, businesses, and local communities are encouraged to participate in that drill, which is subject to change due to possible weather conditions. Snow is forecast in the area for Wednesday.