TEMA, National Weather Service Partner for Week-Long Severe Weather Safety Campaign

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and National Weather Service (NWS) will help families, individuals and businesses get ready for severe weather with a series of special programs and videos from Feb. 20, to Feb. 26, 2011, for Tennessee Severe Weather Awareness Week.

"This time last year, no one could have predicted we would face the largest disaster in Tennessee's history in just a couple of months," said TEMA Director James Bassham.  "If the May floods taught us anything, it is just how much preparedness is an individual responsibility. Our mission is to help people think about what they need to do to be prepared for severe weather, or any emergency."

Throughout the week, NWS, TEMA and other support¬ing groups will conduct educational activities and drills to help people prevent injuries and deaths from tornadoes, damaging winds, flash floods, lightning, and hail.

NWS will use the week to focus on a specific type of severe weather, such as lightning and thunderstorms, and on the agency's warnings and drill systems, and spotter training.

"Tornadoes and flooding will always be threats here in Tennessee," said NWS Nashville Warning Coordination Meteorologist Tom Johnstone.  "The key to survival is preparedness.  Tennesseans need a way such as NOAA Weather Radio to receive National Weather Service warnings, and also need to have a plan for what to do when warnings are issued.  During Severe Weather Awarenesses Week we will help Tennesseans prepare for all the types of severe weather which threaten."

TEMA will post a series of severe weather educational videos on the agency's website, www.tnema.org, and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo, covering topics such as flood, fire and winter weather safety.

Jointly, NWS and TEMA plan to distribute the 2011 Severe Weather Awareness brochure to schools, businesses and individuals. 

The brochure can be downloaded at www.tnema.org/public/documents/swx2011brochure.pdf. 
 

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