Tennessee Valley states rank among those most affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other severe weather hazards. And while tornadoes and thunderstorms peak in the spring and hurricanes in late summer and early fall, our members can attest that severe weather occurs every month of the year. In the last year alone, central Tennessee power companies have weathered severe flooding events and Kentucky LPCs were devastated by an EF-4 tornado. What’s more, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia account for five of the top 10 states most affected by hurricanes, and the last year has been no exception.

Marlin Williams, Chair
Communications Advisory Group

That’s why TVPPA’s Communications Advisory Group (CAG) created a Power Restoration Toolkit for communicators. “Whether your utility has a full-time communications staff, or the role of communicator is handled by someone else in your organization, this digital toolkit contains resources that may provide assistance in your time of need,” said CAG chair Marlin Williams, whose group plans to produce additional toolkits before year’s end.

Available tools include:

  • how-to guides for communications planning,
  • talking points,
  • plug-and-play press release templates for various points in the restoration process,
  • social media graphics that communicate how individuals and families can prepare for and respond to a power interruption,
  • ready-to-use graphics that explain the power restoration process, and
  • social media messages.

How to Find Our Toolkits
The Power Restoration Toolkit can be found alongside the Supply Chain Toolkit on the member section of our website. To access these toolkits, use the member login link in the upper right of the home screen to access the member menu, and click on Communication Tools. Bookmark this page for easy access or download the content for future use, but be sure to revisit the page in the future for updated content and additional toolkits.

Additional Toolkits Coming Soon
The advisory group is working with TVPPA’s Communications and Marketing team to produce two additional toolkit resources: one focused on the value of being part of a locally owned power community, and another focused on crisis communications. Both should be available for use later this calendar year. Each toolkit will be promoted as it becomes available.

TVPPA staff members are available to answer questions and provide assistance with these resources. For assistance, please email communications@tvppa.com or call 423-756-6511. To discuss current and future toolkit needs, please contact CAG Chair Marlin Williams or TVPPA Vice President of Communications and Marketing Nathalie Strickland.