Every spring, the State of Tennessee, recognizes one week as Severe Weather Awareness Week (as recommended by the National Weather Service). This year, the annual education/safety initiative runs from Sunday, February 28 through Saturday, March 6, 2021. Each day, a new topic will be covered by way of free, online (GotoWebinar) presentations. Topics include Flooding & Flash Floods, Lightning, the Underrated Killer, and Tornado Safety & Preparedness, among others. Learn more about these presentations and the many free classes available during Tennessee’s Severe Weather Awareness Week 2021 by visiting https://www.weather.gov/ohx/swaw2021. 

Interestingly, and according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), this year’s Severe Weather Awareness Week marks one year since the deadly tornado outbreaks in Middle and East Tennessee last spring. The twisters claimed 25 lives statewide and damaged or destroyed 3,600 residential and commercial properties, many of which are still being repaired or rebuilt today. 

Even this year, at the beginning of Tennessee’s Severe Weather Awareness Week, the state found itself under weather alerts for flash flooding and possible tornadoes. Speaking of tornadoes, there will be a statewide tornado drill, including a NOAA weather radio test, conducted at 9:30 a.m. CST/10:30 a.m. EST on Friday, March 5, 2021. 

Let Severe Weather Awareness Week 2021 be your reminder to have emergency supplies on hand, and of course an emergency plan in place for severe weather events. Also, TEMA recommends having at least two ways to receive weather warnings, whether a phone, weather radio, social media/app, etc. 

If you live in Middle Tennessee and you’re not familiar with it already, check out https://nashvillesevereweather.com. It’s a favorite among locals and has won numerous awards and recognition for its work in the community. Especially popular is its Twitter hashtag #tspotter, which is used to report severe weather and damage (even the National Weather Service uses it for real-time situational awareness!) And get this… one of NasvilleSevereWeather’s founders is BOLDplanning’s very own Will Minkoff, CBCP!