Emergency Management Information
The Lone Star State encounters at least one major disaster nearly every calendar year. Devastating severe weather during prior years has caused loss of life and property. Being prepared in advance of an emergency situation is critical to the health and safety of you and your family. It is your responsibility to be prepared and follow the directions of the City Leaders and Emergency Management Personnel. To assist in this area, please review the follow website and contact City Hall if you have any questions.
Below are some helpful links to consider when “Planning” for an emergency:
GENERAL INFORMATION:
- NCTCOG Emergency Preparedness information in North Central Texas
- Emergency Preparedness Planning Council
- TexasPrepares
- TxDOT Evacuation Routes
- Ready.gov
TORNADO AWARENESS - Basic Safety Tips:
- Go to the lowest possible level of a building or structure (first floor, basement, storm cellar).
- Remain in an interior room with no windows, such as a closet or bathroom.
- Get underneath a sturdy piece of furniture and cover your neck and head.
- Avoid places/rooms with wide-span roofs (cafeterias, gymnasiums, shopping malls).
- Mobile homes are not safe shelters. You should make plans before the storm arrives to get to an appropriate shelter.
- Apartment dwellers should have a plan in place to get to an apartment on the lowest level of the complex. Contact your leasing office.
- Do not attempt to outrun a tornado in your automobile. Seek shelter inside a nearby building. Be sure not to choose a large box store with a wide-span roof.
- If you’re stranded outside, lie down in a ditch or low lying area away from any vehicles. Remain aware of possible flash flooding.
- Do not seek shelter underneath a bridge or overpass.
TORNADO AWARENESS - Taking Shelter:
The City of Westworth Village does not have public storm shelters. While they may seem like a good idea, they often come with more risks than benefits to residents including:
- Opening public buildings as storm shelters gives a false sense of security and offers no more protection than a well-built residential structure.
- Traveling to a public storm shelter could put you at greater risk than if you sheltered in place. Traffic is likely to get congested if everyone is heading toward one location. Your vehicle is one of the most dangerous places to be during a tornado.
- Tornadoes can happen at night. If a storm wakes you at 2 AM, you likely won’t have enough time to gather your family, load them into a car, and drive to a storm shelter. Sheltering in place affords you the quickest and best protection for a short notice event.
- It would be impossible to shelter even a small percentage of the City’s population. If we were to do this, we would be required to build enough shelters to hold over 6,000 residents.
We encourage all of our citizens to maintain situational awareness during severe weather events and be prepared to shelter in place if necessary.