Interview with Tracy Warner, May 11, 2023

Partial Transcript: Today's date is May eleventh, 2023.

Segment Synopsis: Tracy Warner, the emergency manager for Graves County, describes her memories of the tornado that hit Mayfield, KY on December 10, 2021. She explains how emergency management prepared themselves for the event by setting up bases of operations in Mayfield, and how she prepared her family by sending them warnings about the storm.

Keywords: Emergencies; Emergency management; Emergency managers; Emergency services; Forecasts; Graves County (Ky.); Kentucky; Natural disasters; Severe weather; Storms; Tornadoes; Warnings; Mayfield (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What role do you, um, have you continued to play in the recovery effort since we last talked this past summer?

Segment Synopsis: Warner talks about the types of work she has done for Graves County throughout the tornado relief efforts. She explains how the constant busyness has caused her to lose track of time in her personal life, and says that she will likely slow down and take more time away from her work in the future.

Keywords: Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Emergencies; Emergency management; Emergency managers; Emergency services; Graves County; Kentucky; Natural disasters; Severe weather; Storms; Time management; Tornadoes; Mayfield

Partial Transcript: Thinking back on the events of the tornado, could you talk with me about how you first obtained up-to-date information after the tornado occurred?

Segment Synopsis: Warner talks about the importance of communication and explains how emergency management in Graves County handled communication shortly after the tornado. She says that with the large number of individual organizations working towards Mayfield's recovery, there are plans to create a central hub in Mayfield that will improve communication between them.

Keywords: Communication; Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Emergencies; Emergency management; Emergency managers; Emergency services; Graves County; Kentucky; Natural disasters; News; Severe weather; Social media; Storms; Tornadoes; Mayfield

Partial Transcript: And then could you talk with me about how you believe the community is, has been, or continues to be impacted from the tornado since we last spoke in June of 2022?

Segment Synopsis: Warner talks about the slow recovery process of Mayfield and the obstacles that continue to halt the city's reconstruction. She explains how the tornado event has led her family to being better prepared for severe weather in the future, as well as encouraged her daughter to pursue to become a technician.

Keywords: Construction; Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Emergencies; Emergency management; Emergency managers; Emergency services; Graves County; Kentucky; Natural disasters; Severe weather; Storms; Technicians; Tornadoes; Weather; Mayfield

Partial Transcript: How if at all have the tornado events of December, 2021 changed the way you think about weather events?

Segment Synopsis: Warner explains how she and emergency management in Graves County have continued to grow and learn from the tornado event, while incorporating useful changes for the community, such as having better resource management between neighboring counties and providing Spanish alert systems for the Hispanic population of Mayfield.

Keywords: Communities; Counties; Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Emergencies; Emergency management; Emergency managers; Emergency services; Graves County; Hispanic people; Kentucky; Language barriers; Natural disasters; Resource management; Safety; Severe weather; Storms; Tornadoes; Weather; Mayfield

Partial Transcript: Great, and then have there been any, any organizations that stand out as being especially helpful now that Mayfield has reached a long-term recovery period after the tornado?

Segment Synopsis: Warner talks about some of the nonprofit organizations that have been aiding Mayfield and surrounding communities since the tornado event. She explains why volunteerism is important to a successful community, and encourages others to find ways they can contribute to their communities.

Keywords: Community service; Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Donations; Graves County; Kentucky; Natural disasters; Nonprofit organizations; Nonprofits; Severe weather; Storms; Tornadoes; Volunteerism; Volunteers; Mayfield

Partial Transcript: Could you share with me if and, or how you believe Mayfield will, will move forward in the short term, so maybe the next six to twelve months?

Segment Synopsis: Warner talks about some of the issues in Mayfield that are still being resolved, and the movements that are being pushed to help better the community. She says that she hopes Mayfield will be able to grow into a better city than it was before the tornado, and that the community will be encouraged to work towards this goal.

Keywords: Communication; Communities; Community service; Construction; Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Graves County; Kentucky; Natural disasters; Severe weather; Storms; Tornadoes; Mayfield

Partial Transcript: Great, and then is there anything else we haven't discussed that you would like to share?

Segment Synopsis: Warner talks about how she encourages residents of Mayfield to seek out information about city-related issues, and to offer ideas or solutions to these problems. She says that she has learned a lot since the tornado event, helping her grow as an emergency manager, and encourages others to also seek out and learn something new every day.

Keywords: Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Emergencies; Emergency management; Emergency managers; Emergency services; Graves County; Kentucky; Natural disasters; Severe weather; Storms; Tornadoes; Mayfield