National Preparedness Month reminds Nashvillians to make a plan for disaster response

The tragic storm that struck much of the Southeastern United States served as a reminder this weekend to take the actions recommended by National Preparedness Month at Ready.gov.

The theme for the month is talking with your friends and family about your preparedness in the case of a natural disaster. Ready.gov walks residents through how to talk with your family about making a plan and being prepared to react when adverse weather strikes.

In recent years, multiple extreme weather events like tornadoes, extreme cold and heat, flooding, and severe thunderstorms have damaged and disrupted Nashville's infrastructure and communities, resulting in loss of life and property for hundreds of Nashvillians. Nashville needs to be able to adapt to these changing weather patterns so we can remain a city that offers health, well-being, and affordability for all residents. That's the role of Nashville's Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan. The Climate Resilience Storymap is a user-friendly, interactive tool that visually depicts the data in the adaptation and resilience plan.

"Preparation is key when responding to natural disasters which inevitably bring challenges that are hard to foresee," Mayor Freddie O'Connell said. "I hope Nashvillians will take the remaining part of preparedness month to consider their own disaster response plan. As a city, we are prepared to handle whatever challenges come our way, and with our Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, we will actively work toward strategies that mitigate the impacts of severe weather."

This plan equips us all to better handle our preparedness and mitigation goals.

The city has looked at a number of ways to prepare for future flood events and better manage the storm water runoff (residents can report a clogged storm drain to hubNashville ).

Director Chief William Swann from the Nashville Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management said, "As we conclude September, a month dedicated to preparedness, I want to highlight the vital importance of readiness in our community. I believe that effective decision-making in emergencies starts with comprehensive analysis, strategic planning, and ongoing evaluation of our response protocols. Recent events, including the remnants of hurricanes that have impacted areas like Florida and the Carolinas, as well as East Tennessee, serve as stark reminders that disasters can strike without warning."

Nashville is part of a network of emergency management organizations that support one another when a disaster strikes. The Metro Nashville Police Department, Fire Department, and Office of Emergency Management are all assisting our neighbors in East Tennessee in the same way Nashville received aid after the 2010 flood and recent tornadoes.

When emergencies strike, residents can lean on their family emergency plan (download a free fillable family emergency plan). By downloading the free FEMA App, you can get free, reliable alerts that keep you alerted to changing weather conditions. Residents should check their phones to make sure it can receive Wireless Emergency Alerts and Emergency Alert System messages.

On Tuesday, Metro Council will review a grant that will support our water rescue teams, like the ones currently assisting in East Tennessee.

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