Thursday, February 20, 2014

Tennessee Severe Weather Awareness Week

by Communications Intern, Yasmine Eli


Storm Ready? Prepare—Warn—Respond!

Tennessee Severe Weather Awareness Week (TSWA) is in full effect! TSWA week ends this Friday, and it is calling attention to the severe weather that occurs in the late winter and spring seasons. It is best to become storm ready and be prepared. Today’s topic is Tornado Safety and Preparedness. Severe weather and tornadoes are most common across Tennessee during the spring, especially the month of April. April has had some of the largest and deadliest tornado outbreaks in Tennessee’s history.

If you are a weather aficionado in your community, you can become a SkyWarn storm spotter. Skywarn is the National Weather Service (NWS) program of trained volunteer weather spotters. SkyWarn storm spotters play a vital role in providing ground truth data, which helps the NWS, perform our primary mission to respond and save lives and property. SkyWarn storm spotter training classes are offered all across Tennessee throughout the year. To enroll, visit www.nws.noaa.gov/skywarn.

The best way to be prepared for severe weather is to become Red Cross Ready. Having an emergency preparedness kit can help you be equipped with the proper supplies you may need in the event of a storm. Also another easy way to be prepared for a tornado is to get the official Tornado App from the American Red Cross via ITunes or Google Play.

With severe weather expected across Tennessee on Thursday evening, it is vital to make sure that you and your family are prepared BEFORE disaster strikes.  Visit www.redcross.org for more information.

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