Today, a Smart City guest with OK-FIRST, Oklahoma’s emergency management service, told me about “StormReady,” awarded by the National Weather Service to communitiies proven to be prepared to respond to severe weather. After learning about the storm ready designation, I called back to the office to check whether New Orleans had the designation. After some quick checking, the answer came back no. Ten minutes later, I thought, “How about Memphis and Shelby County?” Again, the answer came back no.
Nashville and Chattanooga both lie in counties that are “StormReady.” Here’s a complete list of Tennessee cities and counties with the designation: Bradley, Davidson, Dyer, Fentress, Franklin, Hamilton, Lincoln, Montgomery, Moore, Putnam, Sumner, Wilson, Fayetteville, and Oakland.
Find out more about StormReady at http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/. Then ask yourself (as you contemplate that New Madrid fault you’re sitting on), why aren’t Memphis and Shelby County on this list?
