As deadly storm season approaches, Sen. Stewart calls for Reverse 911 system
After witnessing the damage in his district done by a tornado no one heard coming, Sen. Eric Stewart, D-Belvidere, is sponsoring a bill to create a reverse 911 notification system in Tennessee.
“Tornadoes typically have been the most dangerous weather threats to Tennesseans, especially in the last five years. We must make use of every alert system possible to warn our residents when a tornado could be close,” Stewart said.
Stewart toured the damage done in Monteagle on Jan. 21, where a tornado hit in the evening without any advance warning from authorities. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the experience was enough to convince Stewart that the state needed to upgrade its alert system.
“No one in that area had any idea what was happening,” Stewart said. “We don’t need to wait until the next deadly tornado to implement this system.”
Tennessee’s tornado season typically stretches from March until May, but the Monteagle tornado reminded Tennesseans that the powerful storms can strike the state at almost any time of the year. Tennessee has experienced three major tornadoes since 2006, including last year’s storm in Murfreesboro that killed two people. In those three storms combined, 46 people died.
The bill (SB2857) would create a pilot project to place one reverse 911 system in each of the state’s three grand divisions. The project would be funded through Next Generation E-911 funds, which are assessed on every monthly cell phone bill in the state.
The reverse 911 system would send recorded voice messages to notify residents of severe weather warnings and emergency information. The board in charge of the system could also add text message alerts to cell phones and receivers for the hearing impaired to create an additional alert.
The bill is currently in committee.
Senator Eric Stewart represents Franklin, Bledsoe, Coffee, Grundy, Sequatchie, Van Buren, and Warren Counties. Contact him at sen.eric.stewart@capitol.tn.gov or (615) 741-6694 or 310A War Memorial Building, Nashville, TN 37243.