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Tennessee is under a Level 3 - State of Emergency, but what does that mean?

The State of Emergency was issued after tornadoes hit Middle Tennessee on Tuesday morning. Here's what you need to know about the current State of Emergency.

TENNESSEE, USA — The following article was originally published on 2/23/19 in regards to widespread flooding in East Tennessee. The article is being republished with updated information about the tornadoes that hit Middle Tennessee on 3/3/2020.

At least 24 people are dead after tornadoes devastated the greater Nashville area early Tuesday morning.  Affected areas include Davidson, Wilson, and Putnam Counties. 

In response to the devastation, Governor Bill Lee has declared a Level 3 State of Emergency for the state of Tennessee. 

At this time, TEMA said in a statement the primary mission is life-safety and search and rescue.  TEMA is also coordinating with local and state departments. 

Here is a brief rundown of everything you need to know about how State of Emergencies get activated, and what they mean for Tennessee. 

What is a TEMA? What is a TEMP?

A TEMP is Tennessee's Emergency Action Plan for handling a range of emergencies. There this law, TCA 58-2-107, that says by activating a TEMP the governor is putting himself in charge of all parts of emergency management functions within the state. 

A governor can still declare a state of emergency by executive order or proclamation, but you can also do it by activating a TEMP. 

As for TEMA, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, they are the ones who can actually activate the TEMP aside from the governor.

They are also the organization responsible for preparing and maintaining the TEMP. 

According to their website, they "coordinate preparedness, response, and recovery from man-made, natural, and technological hazards in a professional and efficient manner in concert with our stakeholders."

A State of Emergency, by the way, expires when either 60 days has elapsed or when the Activation Level returns to Level 5.

TEMA activates and maintains the TEMP,  or the Tennessee Emergency Management Plan. But what is a State of Emergency? 

A State of Emergency is an activation level of your State Emergency Operations Center services.  They're staffed to the minimum size to provide adequate support of an emergency.  So as the emergency grows or diminishes, the staffing at SEOC are adjusted to meet those needs.

And it's also important to note that under the TEMP, a State of Emergency automatically occurs when the Activation Level hits Level 3 or above. 

What are these activation levels? Should I be concerned? 

Depending on the level, not necessarily. But again, if you're operating under a TEMP and then your Activation Level hits a Level 3, that means you are automatically under a State of Emergency and cannot just go about your normal day.  

Here's what the rest of the levels mean.

  • Level 1 - Catastrophic Disaster 

This level describes an event that requires massive state or federal assistance. The military gets involved immediately, and all of TEMA's emergency support functions are activated for 24-hour continuous operation. 

Essentially, it's an emergency that requires all-hands-on-deck at the local level and federal assistance to support that as well. 

  • Level 2 - Major Disaster

This describes an event that just cannot be handled at a local level, so massive state or even a little federal assistance is required to deal with the situation. Like what happens in a Level 1, all of the emergency support functions outlined in the TEMP are activated for 24-hour continuous operation. 

  • Level 3 - State of Emergency 

This is where we are at right now in Tennessee. At this level, a serious emergency has occurred and/or a situation is really deteriorating at a rapid pace. 

At this point, TEMA is actively coordinating with state or local partners to try and get the situation under control.

  • Level 4 - Elevated (or State of Emergency)

This is when there might be an emergency or a situation appears to be developing. 

TEMA may beef up their 24-hour watch staff to keep an eye on things over at their Operations Center, but other than that everything's chill. 

  • Level 5 - Normal Operation

The state is at normal operation and TEMA handles routine issues with normal staffing. 

Keep following 10News throughout the night for more tornado updates. 

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