Warren County opens first county-run storm shelter after weekend storms; 37 people sheltered

Mister Ruben, an emergency management official for Warren County, said the county opened its first county-operated storm shelter during severe weather over the weekend and sheltered 37 people.

County emergency management officials said the shelter opened Saturday before daylight after a storm warning and was listed on the Tennessee Department of Safetys tn.gov/safeplaces interactive map so people could find it by phone or GPS.

The shelter housed a range of residents, officials said, from a family with a two-month-old to people in their 60s. The shelter operated for about four hours that day; officials said it stood ready to remain open overnight if conditions had worsened.

In his report to the commission, Mister Ruben described how county staff alerted the public through the sheriffs office Facebook page and coordinated with the state. He credited county staff and volunteers, including Wanda and Jason, for staffing the shelter and said the state contact identified as Tima gave the county 2the green light2 to list the shelter on the statewide map.

Commissioners asked about expanding shelter coverage. Ruben said the countys next steps include identifying additional permanent shelter sites, especially in the Morrison area, and compiling contact and attendance records from the event so the county can document demand when seeking further assistance or formal designation from the state. He said the shelters establishment also preserves eligibility for existing state grant funding after the retirement of a longtime state contact, noting 2Terry made me interim2 to avoid a lapse in communication with the state.

Ruben and other officials described storm damage in nearby areas but said they had no reports of injuries. They noted damage to trees, power lines and some docks in White County, and one lightning-caused house fire in Irving College reported earlier in the day.

Officials discussed additional preparedness steps, including a possible generator for the county building and expanding partnerships with churches and other community facilities as designated shelters. Ruben said the county is gathering names and contacts of attendees so it can contact them if future storms require activation.

The commission did not take separate formal action on the shelter during the meeting; members approved the emergency management report as presented.

Looking ahead, Ruben urged continued coordination with the state and local partners to expand the number of listed shelters and to follow the states procedures for designation and documentation.