Meteorologists are warning about two weather events set to hit Alabama this week. Forecasters say there’s a risk for storms on Wednesday for the northwestern part of the state. They say the biggest threat is hail and damaging winds blowing through that afternoon. Weather experts say Thursday will have the most severe weather with the potential for tornadoes, straight-line winds, hail and flooding rain. Daniel Martin is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham. He says Alabamians should prepare now for the incoming weather.
“Make sure that you’ve got your shelter cleared out and ready to go, and that you’ve got methods to receive warnings,” said Martin. “Just go ahead and get all those things in place… Things that need to be in place anyways as we continue into this more active season. Just your basic severe weather preparedness.”
Martin says it’s a good idea to have to ways to get weather alerts like through a weather radio and your cell phone. Forecasters advise that devices that are loud enough to wake you up in the middle of the night in the middle of the night are a good idea.
“You know, we want to emphasize that everybody’s checking back on the forecast. Make sure that you’re not just looking at it once days in advance and then never look at it again because things can change between now and Thursday. Hopefully people are checking back in and staying weather aware.”
Selma, as well as Dallas, Autauga, Coosa, Elmore, and Hale counties are eligible for federal assistance following a deadly tornado that struck the region last month. All of Alabama’s reported fatalities occurred in Autauga County.
