Helping people in Alabama be prepared to survive the dangers of severe weather is the focus of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Alabama.

Gov. Kay Ivey, the National Weather Service offices that serve Alabama, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and other supporting organizations have declared the week of Feb. 20-25 as Severe Weather Awareness Week. The goal is to encourage Alabamians to educate themselves about the dangers of severe weather and obtain the supplies and information needed to reduce their risk of harm.

For your severe weather preparedness plan to be successful, weather forecasters say you must:

• Have at least two reliable methods of receiving emergency information, such as a weather alert app on your smartphone and a NOAA weather radio.
• Understand terminology, such as the difference between a watch and a warning.
• Know how and where to protect yourself when severe weather strikes.
• Know what to do if severe weather hurts you or causes damage to your property.

“The main thing is to make sure all your means of communication coming in to you are up to speed,” said John De Block, meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. “Get a good weather app and check your Wireless Emergency Alerts settings on your phone. Alabama SAF-T-Net or any of the local TV stations have good notification apps.”

In advance of severe weather you should make sure your shelter and safety supplies – such as helmets, flashlights, a first aid kit and water – are easily accessible, as well as sturdy shoes or boots and gloves to wear in the event severe weather damages your home.

Alabama Power recommends you also sign up for outage alerts in advance of severe weather. The company can then automatically notify you of outages and restoration updates. You can visit alabamapower.com/alerts to sign up. You can also visit Alabama Power’s Storm Center at alabamapower.com/storm to see the company’s interactive online outage map and learn about more ways to prepare you and your family for severe weather.

To encourage you to stock emergency supplies, the state of Alabama will hold its 11th annual Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday Feb. 25-27. Starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday and ending at midnight Sunday, shoppers in Alabama can purchase certain severe weather preparedness items free of state sales tax. The list includes a variety of batteries, cellphone chargers, flashlights and first-aid kits. A complete list can be viewed here.