Prepare Before Severe Weather Reaches East Alabama
Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flash flooding, and power outages can develop quickly in Alabama. Once a warning is issued, there may be only a short time to move to safety. Planning ahead is especially important for older adults who take daily medications, use mobility aids, rely on powered medical equipment, or need help receiving emergency alerts.
A useful plan does not have to be complicated. Start by identifying your safest location, organizing essential medical information, building a basic supply kit, and choosing people who can check on you. Review the plan with family members, caregivers, and neighbors before bad weather is in the forecast.
Know Where You Will Shelter
Choose a small interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building, away from windows. A basement or storm shelter is best when available. If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, identify a sturdier nearby shelter and decide how you will reach it before storms arrive.
Make sure the route to your shelter area is clear for a walker, wheelchair, oxygen equipment, or other assistive device. Keep sturdy shoes, a flashlight, a whistle, and protective head covering nearby. If you live in an apartment, assisted-living community, or senior housing complex, ask management about the building’s severe-weather plan and shelter location.
Use More Than One Way to Receive Alerts
Outdoor warning sirens are designed to warn people outside and may not be heard indoors. Use several alert methods, such as Wireless Emergency Alerts on a charged mobile phone, a weather radio with battery backup, local news, and alerts from local emergency management.
Learn the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather and you should be ready to act. A warning means dangerous weather is occurring or imminent in the warned area, and you should move to your safe place immediately.
Plan for Medications and Medical Equipment
Keep an updated list of medications, doses, allergies, medical conditions, healthcare providers, and emergency contacts. Store a paper copy in a waterproof bag and keep another copy with a trusted family member or caregiver. Include copies of identification and insurance cards when appropriate.
Talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about how to prepare for possible disruptions to prescriptions. If you use oxygen, refrigeration-dependent medicine, a powered mobility device, or other electrical medical equipment, make a backup-power plan. Record the equipment provider’s phone number and understand how long batteries can safely operate. Never use a generator inside a home, garage, or enclosed space.
Build a Kit Around Your Actual Needs
Include water, nonperishable food, flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit, chargers, hygiene supplies, weather-appropriate clothing, and supplies for pets or service animals. Add hearing-aid batteries, glasses, mobility-device accessories, communication cards, and other items needed for daily independence.
Keep the kit where it can be reached quickly, and check expiration dates several times a year. A smaller grab-and-go bag can be helpful if evacuation becomes necessary.
Create a Support Network
Choose at least two people who can check on you before and after a storm. Share where you plan to shelter, how to enter the home if you need help, and what assistance you may need during an evacuation or extended outage. Do not rely on only one person, since severe weather may affect travel and phone service.
If you care for an older adult, confirm the plan when severe weather is forecast. Make sure alert devices are working, medications and supplies are accessible, and the person knows when to move to shelter.
Call 911 for a Medical Emergency
After a storm, call 911 for serious injuries, chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, signs of stroke, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, or another potentially life-threatening condition. Tell the dispatcher your exact location, including an apartment number, room, gate, or access instructions. Follow the dispatcher’s directions and do not enter damaged or flooded areas to reach someone unless responders say it is safe.
Oxford Health Systems Paramedic Service responds to medical emergencies throughout the community. Preparation helps residents protect themselves while allowing emergency crews to locate patients and begin care as efficiently as conditions permit. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911.
