DUANE SHERRILLEditor

September has been proclaimed as Emergency Preparedness Month by Mayor Lynn Sebourn as he urged the public to take this time to prepare themselves should the worst happen.

“Proactive preparation can significantly mitigate the impact of disasters, enabling individuals, families and communities to respond effectively and recover more quickly,” the mayor read from the proclamation. “We encourage … Tullahoma to participate in preparedness activities, including developing emergency plans, building disaster kits, staying informed about potential hazards and practicing emergency procedures.”

Tullahoma Community Engagement Office Lyle Russell said there will be activities throughout the month of September in concert with the proclamation.

“We have been blessed to have been spared from disasters,” Russell said. “But, that can change in an instant as we saw with the Waverly floods in the east with the effects of Hurricane Helene. There’s always that potential.”

Russell said each day on Tullahoma social media there will be an emergency preparedness tip, for a total of 30. He also said if you have a weather radio, you can take advantage of Tune-it Tuesday where you can bring your weather radio to Lowe’s, Sept. 23, and be shown how to use it. Those who do not have weather radios can purchase one at Lowe’s and be trained on the spot how to use it properly.

Russell pointed out that Coffee County EMA has a push-to-text alert system for Coffee County. The public can be placed on the text list in case of an emergency by registering on the EMA website.

“I think it is something well worth doing just to keep everybody safe and informed,” he said.