Williamson Ready

Emergencies occur on large and small scales. From flooding and tornados to roadway incidents and cyberattacks, emergencies arise with little to no warning. The best way to prepare for any disaster lies with each individual citizen.

After disasters, assistance sometimes becomes available from local, state, or even the federal government, but not always. You are your best and fastest option to recovering from a disaster!

Our Mission

Our mission is to improve Williamson County’s resilience against all hazards by educating and engaging the whole community in prevention, mitigation, response and recovery efforts.

We have a vision of a prepared community in which every individual, family, and organization is empowered to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster. We want every citizen to be “Williamson Ready.”

Our Program

We break our program into three steps:

1. Be prepared: providing education on how to prepare for disasters
2. Stay Alert: equipping you with tools and resources, so you can find information and help yourself
3. Get involved: empowering you to act when recovering from disaster

Starter Steps

To get started, there are three essential actions you can take now that will go a long way in helping you to be prepared:

       1. Sign up for emergency alerts

The Williamson County Emergency Alert System provides citizens the option to receive emergency alerts via text, phone call, or email. This alert system is a fantastic resource for local incident updates. We also recommend using weather apps to stay informed about potential severe weather.

       2. Make a plan

It’s important to plan for the hazards you’re most likely to encounter, and it’s just as important that everyone in your household is aware of the plan for any specific situation.

       3. Build a kit

Every household member should have a basic disaster kit stored at home in case of an evacuation. There are several add-on items that you may want to keep handy as well, depending on the hazards you are most likely to encounter. We also recommend keeping an emergency vehicle kit in your car at all times.

Resources

Ready.gov, a site run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has a wealth of resources on how to prepare for specific hazards and build emergency kits. They also have preparedness tips for specific groups, such as the elderly or disabled.

The American Red Cross has several resources for preparedness, including classes on CPR and First Aid. They are a great resource for those looking to volunteer with disaster relief, and they have an app for emergency alerts.