National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Severe Weather Awareness Week
February 20-25th, 2011

Governor Robert Bentley has declared February 20-25th, 2011 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Alabama. The National Weather Service, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, and other supporting organizations, ask for your help in providing the public with information about severe weather safety. Advance planning and increased awareness will help residents of Alabama survive these deadly storms.

For an electronic version of the Alabama All Hazards Awareness Booklet click here.

"Tornado Safety Drill" on Wednesday, February 23 . In Alabama, we do not conduct a statewide tonado drill.  However, we encourage everyone to conduct their own safety drill on Wednesday, Feb 23rd.  This "tornado safety drill" will be accomplished in conjunction with our weekly NOAA All-Hazards Radio Test that will be run at a special time of 9 am. An actual tornado warning WILL NOT sound, but this is an excellent opportunity for schools, civic organizations and businesses around central Alabama to practice what they would do in the event of a tornado warning.

Severe weather can happen at any time. Here are some events from 2010.

• Central Alabama Tornado Outbreak - November 30th, 2010 : 6 tornadoes were confirmed in central Alabama as a deepening surface low dragged a warm front northward from the Gulf of Mexico.   Damage was recorded from Louisiana to South Carolina. 
• 2 Confirmed Tornadoes - March 25th, 2010 : 2 tornadoes were confirmed in Shelby and Chilton counties as a low pressure system tracked eastward through the Tennessee Valley.  Both ended up being EF1 tornadoes.