The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness on August 22 hosted the first annual Citywide Severe Weather Tabletop Exercise to prepare City officials for severe weather events. The tabletop, a discussion-based exercise, featured four distinct scenarios addressing potential operational challenges, preparedness efforts, response strategies, recovery, and communications related to severe thunderstorms, flooding, tropical storms, and tornadoes. Thirteen City departments including the Department of Aviation, 4 executive offices, and E-911 (under the Atlanta Police Department) participated. Georgia Power and MARTA were also represented. “As significant weather events continue to increase in frequency and severity, it is vital that we prepare for any and all situations,” said Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness Deputy Director, Asher Morris. “That’s why we are increasing the number of tabletop exercises we conduct and the topics we cover.”
Tabletop exercises have become a familiar form of training and exercising plans at the City of Atlanta. For the last five years, the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness has facilitated several tabletop exercises, including annual winter weather tabletop exercises both for operational staff and for the Mayor’s Cabinet, to prepare for adverse weather events and for large-scale special events like the Peachtree Road Race, Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade, 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and more.
Over the next year, the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness will also host Functional Exercises – which test specific functions of a full response – and two Full-Scale Exercises in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in preparation for FIFA World Cup 2026. Other exercises have been scheduled for Atlanta’s nuclear and radiologic detection program, Securing the Cities, Department of Watershed Management, Atlanta Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works, and Department of Aviation. Additionally, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and Atlanta Police Department hold quarterly active threat exercises.
“Preparedness is not an option – constant testing and exercising builds muscle memory, coordination and cohesiveness,” said Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness Executive Director, Felipe den Brok.
The exercises are designed to test plans and frameworks for how the City will respond during critical incidents and operational disruptions.
