Alabama Severe Weather Awareness Week underway
Tornadoes are just one type of severe weather event that Alabamians must prepare for, officials say. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Alabama’s Severe Weather Awareness Week is Feb. 5-10, with a focus on helping people understand how to prepare for and survive dangerous weather.
Gov. Kay Ivey proclaimed this week Alabama Severe Weather Awareness Week, which is supported by National Weather Service offices that serve Alabama, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and other organizations. The goal: to encourage residents to plan ahead for severe weather and to increase awareness about potential dangers.
Weather forecasters recommend the following tips for devising your severe weather preparedness plan:
- Have at least two reliable methods of receiving emergency information, such as a weather alert app on your smartphone and a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather radio.
- Take the time to learn and understand severe weather 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.
Alabama Power recommends that customers sign up for outage alerts in advance of severe weather. Outage alerts provide real-time outage information personalized to each customer, including restoration updates. Visit alabamapower.com/alerts to sign up. You can visit Alabama Power’s Storm Center at alabamapower.com/storm to view the company’s interactive online outage map and learn about more ways to prepare you and your family for severe weather.
Alabama’s location on the Gulf Coast puts the state on the path for potentially deadly hurricanes, another reason Alabamians should stay prepared for severe weather. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Alabamians can benefit from the 12th annual severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday, which is scheduled to begin at midnight on Feb. 24 and end at midnight on Feb. 26. This tax holiday allows shoppers to purchase items including batteries, cellphone chargers, flashlights and first aid kits that are beneficial to include in severe weather preparedness kits.
