By: Yoly Viera
As areas across the nation weather severe storms and low temperatures, Collegedale’s city government is preparing to host an event that prioritizes preparedness over panic.
Storm Safety Day, a free community event planned to take place Thursday, Feb. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m., will offer community members hands-on education, safety resources and guidance on how to respond calmly and effectively during severe weather.
According to the social media accounts of City Commissioner Laura Howse, the event will take place in Founder’s Hall at the Collegedale Commons.
“Storm Safety Day gives people a chance to ask questions, learn from experts and feel more prepared for the next weather event,” Howse said.
In recent years, the most severe weather in Hamilton County has included the 2011 Ringgold–Apison tornado and the Easter tornado of 2020. Due to the success of last year’s inaugural Storm Safety Day, the city decided to repeat the event.
“By bringing together weather experts, hands-on weather radio programming and a free health clinic, we’re giving people practical tools they can use right away,” Howse said. “The goal is simple: be prepared, not scared.”
Plans for the event include multiple demonstrations and presentations. The Collegedale Police Department and Tri-Community Fire Department will operate booths where professionals will answer questions about how they can help people before, during and after a storm, with Southern Adventist University providing a free health clinic.
Southern Adventist University student Zachary LeClerc, senior nursing major, is helping to organize the health clinic for the event. The clinic will offer free blood pressure and blood sugar checks, along with other basic health education.
According to LeClerc, the goal of the booths is to demonstrate simple actions anyone can perform to positively impact others. He added that the clinic offers an opportunity for other students to minister to the community.
“Part of being a Christian is being a neighbor to all people,” LeClerc said.
Another focus of Storm Safety Day is to promote weather radios as a reliable source of information during emergencies such as power outages. Visitors to Storm Safety Day can have their radios correctly programmed and learn the best ways to use them.
Attendance at the event is expected to be high, attracting both newer residents and families who want to take a closer look at storm safety procedures.
Howse hopes that the community can come together to be better prepared and safer for future challenges.
