This week (Feb. 16 –22) is Tennessee Severe Weather Awareness Week, a week to increase awareness about the risks associated with severe weather threats for Tennesseans ahead of Spring. Although severe weather can occur year-round, Spring months often contain the greatest number of severe weather events. NES wants our customers to be prepared for events like these. Severe weather can lead to widespread power outages and serious safety hazards, but getting prepared can help mitigate the effects of those circumstances.
Here are some ways to stay prepared year-round.
- Make sure your contact information is up to date with us. Be sure your current phone number is tied to your NES account so that we can easily identify your location when you report an outage. To update your number, log into your MyAccount at nespower.com. We also recommend enabling text messaging through your online account so you can quickly report a power outage by texting “OUT” to 637797 (NESPWR).
- Assemble an outage kit. One of the most important items in an outage kit is a fully charged cell phone and portable cell phone charger. You should also prepare by downloading a reliable weather app on your phone and following NES on X or Facebook for severe weather alerts and outage updates. Also consider including essentials like flashlights, fresh batteries, non-perishable food, prescription medications and bottled water in your outage kit.
- Have a backup plan for life-support equipment. If you or a family member rely on an electrical life-sustaining medical device, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there or to a hospital during an extended outage. Click here to learn about NES’ Critical Referral Program for customers who rely on electrically powered life-sustaining devices.
To learn more about staying prepared, the National Weather Service is hosting a Severe Weather Awareness Day (SWAD) event on Saturday, February 22 at Trevecca Nazarene University. The event is free and will gather meteorologists, utilities and other experts for education on how to stay prepared for severe weather. For more information on the event, click here.
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