We are in the heart of storm season for Middle Tennessee. It can be dangerous for families who live in vulnerable housing like mobile homes, but a new bill that's headed to Governor Bill Lee's desk will allow more storm shelters to open across the state.
Hearing from viewers drove me to cover the lack of community storm shelters in Tennessee.
While tornadoes can be hard to predict, once thing I can always forecast is getting a message from Amber Collier during severe storms asking if her and her family need to leave their mobile home. Amber knows firsthand what it's like to be in the path of tornado, recalling being a short distance from the EF-4 Good Friday tornado that hit Murfreesboro in 2009:
"It was the most terrifying day of my life."
Amber and her five-year-old daughter recently lived in a mobile home and tells me there are no storm shelters around her community in Smyrna.
"I was told by every police department, fire departments — no one has shelters, nobody — especially open to the public," Amber said. Whenever storms were coming Amber would contact me to ask if she and her daughter should head to Walmart. "That's the only location we have," Amber said. "I just appreciate the friendship we have now. Just to know I can message you and say, 'what do I need to do?' and I trust your word."
Representative Jason Powell says it's families like Amber's he hopes to help with the passage of the Safer Places Bill. It eliminates liability of organizations that opt to open during severe weather.
"When I thought about the safer places it made common sense," Powell said. "We need places when we face severe weather that the public can go."
Representative Powell sponsored HB1080after seeing our stories on NewsChannel 5 about the lack of community storm shelters across the state. Senator Sara Kyle sponsored the companion bill. Powell wants churches and non-profits to know now is the time to act before the next severe storm moves in. "I'm very thankful that you brought this to me, this bill I think is going to save a lot of lives and help a lot of people," Powell said. "It is a very important step for the state of Tennessee."
The Safer Places Bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate in March and is awaiting the Governor's signature.
It is a great stepping stone to fixing the problem, but now we not only need these churches and groups to open their spaces — we also really need an easy and accessible way for the public to know which shelters are open in their community.
That is the step we will be pushing for next.
You should always have multiple ways to get severe weather alerts. Stay weather aware by downloading our Storm Shield app for free in the app store or by subscribing to Weathercall.
