READY FOR DISASTER?• Get a kit: An emergency supply kit could include water, nonperishable food, flashlights, first aid items, prescription medications and copies of vital financial documents.• Make a plan: Some ideas could include mapping out where your family will meet during or after an emergency, supplying everyone with complete contact information and having alternative lodging in place.• Be informed: Learn about all the emergencies that could happen in Tennessee such as tornadoes, earthquakes and radiological, biological or manmade disasters. Know how to respond to each of those situations. Read more at www.ready.gov.Source: FEMA
Two floods, a handful of devastating tornadoes and even a few minor earthquakes and wildfires. All the above happened in Tennessee in the last two years.
The Volunteer State ranks 14th in the nation for natural disasters, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the agency says residents aren't prepared enough.
This month, FEMA is urging state residents to develop disaster plans and prepare emergency kits. Guidelines are outlined at www.ready.gov.
"Tennessee has earned one of the top spots the hard way. Despite heroic efforts, this unfortunate history has cost lives and millions of dollars in unforgettable devastation," said Gracia Szczech, the agency's federal coordinating officer.
"That's why FEMA is urging Tennesseans to make a different kind of resolution in the New Year and resolve to be ready in 2011," said Szczech, who is based in Nashville and overseeing that city's recovery from the 2010 floods.
Since 1953, the federal government has declared some part of the state a disaster area 14 times, according to the agency.
This week, the National Weather Service announced it would implement a flood-prediction system that is similar to tornado prediction systems. The move gained praise from U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, who pushed for a new alert system after last year's Nashville flooding. A report released Wednesday by the weather service said accurate warnings weren't given because the agency relied on inaccurate flood models.
The Cumberland River crested at nearly 52 feet on May 3. The flood killed 22 people and caused $2 billion in damage, but the Weather Service was predicting a crest of around 42 feet, the report found.
"I urged the National Weather Service to do as good a job with flood warnings as it does with predicting tornado activity," Alexander said in a statement. "This new system for predicting water levels and communicating flood warnings is an important step in that direction, at first in Nashville, but eventually nationwide. Tornadoes can be devastating, but flooding causes three times as much damage nationwide each year as all other disasters combined."
Tennessee always faces two large natural disaster threats: floods and tornadoes. Since the 1990s there have been 10 flood-related disasters. The state ranks first in tornado deaths nationwide, with at least 110 people dying in storms here since 1998, according to National Weather Service data.
While the state doesn't have more tornadoes than its Midwest counterparts, it does have more densely populated areas and hilly topography that makes it hard for residents to know when a twister is coming, officials said.
Residents can start their preparedness effort by just looking around their yards, said Bill Tittle, chief of emergency services for the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency.
"If you live in a lower-lying area or by a stream, be aware that water could be an issue," Tittle said. "If you live in a wooded area, a fire could be a concern. You could start by clearing away brush."
All of Tennessee is subject to tornadoes, so removing large trees close to your home could protect it, he said, and dead or dying trees certainly should be taken out.
"We think having an emergency kit with important papers, contact information and prescription drug information makes a lot of sense," Tittle said. "It's smart for everyone to think about what they would need if they were away from their home for an extended period of time."