The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the way we prepare for severe weather. We saw changes to tornado shelters and Alabama EMA officials say there will be even more changes for hurricane season. Alabama EMA Director Brian Hastings says new safety precautions will change how to shelter safely. “You need to screen and manage people coming in and then you need…
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Shelters that open during dangerous hurricanes may look and operate differently this storm season, state emergency officials said, as the new coronavirus complicate response plans. Across the coastal United States, concerns over COVID-19 has added a new complication to response planning as emergency officials prepare for the hurricane season that officially starts Monday. Forecasters are predicting…
Along with most of the River Region, Macon County is preparing for another severe weather day on Thursday, April 23. In preparation for the severe thunderstorms, hail, and damaging winds that are expected, the county is sanitizing shelters and making plans to open several new safe places. The Macon County Emergency Management Agency, says the COVID-19 Pandemic has prompted the…
Each day brings the United States closer to peak severe weather season, and especially with severe weather potentially hitting our area this Sunday those are faced with a question: Is it better to take on severe weather outside a community shelter or to face the possibility of contracting the coronavirus inside one? Tornado-prone states including Alabama are recommending that people…
The Coronavirus outbreak will impact storm shelters in our area. Autauga County EMA Director Ernie Baggett tells Alabama News Network that fewer people will be allowed into the county’s shelters because of social distancing. The county has two FEMA rated shelters at Boone’s Chapel and Posey’s Crossroads Baptist Church, but as of now Baggett says they will not be open…
When severe weather threatens, we are often told to seek shelter if we’re in a mobile home or in a flood-prone area. But Alabama News Network found out that sometimes, shelters are hard to find. In emergencies, some people don’t know where to go, or if a shelter is open for them. Other people have to drive up to 20…
Storm shelters built inside your home can greatly increase your chances of surviving severe weather. A tornado doesn’t slow down or stop for anyone. It mows down homes, flips buildings over, and can destroy lives. If a tornado comes your way you need to get to a place that’s safe, like a storm shelter. “It’s not something that people think…
