Tennessee’s Severe Weather Awareness Week (SWAW) 2026 is taking place from February 15 to 21, organized collaboratively by the National Weather Service, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), and local emergency management offices, including Crossville/Cumberland County EMA.

This annual initiative delivers daily safety messages and preparedness guidance to help individuals, families, schools, and businesses better understand and mitigate risks from severe weather, which can strike quickly in Tennessee with hazards such as tornadoes, flash flooding, damaging winds, lightning, and extreme temperatures.

The week features focused themes each day: Sunday, February 15, covers “What to Know Before the Storm”; Monday, February 16, addresses flooding and flash floods; Tuesday, February 17, highlights lightning as an underrated killer; Wednesday, February 18, focuses on tornado safety and preparedness; Thursday, February 19, discusses severe thunderstorm safety; Friday, February 20, explores tools for receiving weather warnings and the role of social media; and Saturday, February 21, examines severe weather impacts.

Key preparedness recommendations for Tennesseans include knowing local risks and how to receive emergency alerts, creating a customized family emergency plan that considers children, older adults, pets, and medical needs, assembling an emergency supply kit with at least three days’ worth of essentials like water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries, chargers, medications, and pet supplies (plus a separate car kit with items such as jumper cables and reflective triangles), and staying informed by monitoring trusted forecast sources with multiple alert methods, including NOAA Weather Radio and local notification systems. More details are available at the National Weather Service Nashville office website: https://www.weather.gov/ohx/.