Storms ahead: Here’s how to stay weather aware

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Gracie Johnson

When bad weather’s brewing, it’s important that you’re aware and ready in case disaster strikes.

The first step? Keeping an eye on the weather. These days it’s hard to miss the warnings and alerts popping up days ahead of potentially deadly storms, but many people do, said Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Tamara Croom.

“Emergency preparedness can be the difference in life and death,” Croom said. “If you’re on the road and you don’t know that Tuscaloosa County is under a tornado warning you might be driving into danger.”

A few tips Croom shared to keep in mind when preparing for bad weather are:

• Plan with your family or roommates to know where your safe place is. If you don’t have a safe place at home, know where the nearest shelter is and make sure to head there with enough time when a warning is issued.
• Have a preparedness kit close by. This kit includes items useful if your power goes out, such as bottled water, canned food, a weather radio, cellphone chargers, flashlights, candles and blankets. You can learn more about making a preparedness kit right here.
• If you don’t have a weather radio, make sure you’re signed up for TuscAlerts or tune in to local news when experiencing severe weather.

“You do need to get some kind of notifications on your cellphone,” Croom said. “On TV, tune into (WVUA 23 Chief Meteorologist) Richard Scott to see what he is saying, that way you know if severe weather is headed for your area.”

For more in-depth tips and information on weather preparedness, click here.