Shawna Lemley, Arlington’s emergency management coordinator, attributes her start in the field of weather preparedness to the 1996 film, “Twister.”
Lemley hopes screening the 2024 remake of the movie during the city’s Preparedness in the Park event at Levitt Pavilion Sept. 18 will similarly inspire others to be ready in case extreme weather hits.
“We wanted to show ‘Twisters’ because, while we’re learning about severe weather, there are just so many things to learn from the movie,” Lemley said.
If you go:
What: Preparedness in the Park
When: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sept. 18
Where: Levitt Pavilion, 100 W. Abram St.
Price: Free
Parking: Free downtown parking
Click here for more information.
The event, the first of its kind by the city at Levitt Pavilion, will include booths with officials from the local fire department, office of emergency management, police department and public works’ storm water team. They will provide information on how to keep families ready for an emergency, how to know what certain emergency sirens mean and how to build a 72-hour emergency kit.
A lot of work for an emergency happens before the emergency begins, Lemley said, which makes an event like this important.
“What we find in the world of preparedness is: You don’t know what you don’t know,” Lemley said.
While the evening is dedicated to learning, there will be fun activities for adults and children.
The city’s neighborhood block party trailer and the Arlington Police Department’s GameUp 5-0 video game trailer will be at the pavilion alongside food trucks, Lemley said.
A limited number of free NOAA Weather Radios, which allow the National Weather Service to provide weather alerts straight into a home through the radio, will be given away at the event.
“If you’re asleep at night, the radio can wake you up, and that can be the central point of warning,” Lemley said.
The action starts at 5:30 p.m., and the movie begins at 7:30 p.m. Lemley says she hopes that the lessons and positive tone of the movie can resonate with people.
“We hope that by preparing people, they can leave being more informed and on a positive note,” Lemley said.
Chris Moss is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org.
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