Gov. Kay Ivey has issued a statewide State of Emergency, effective today (Friday, Oct. 6) at 7 a.m., in anticipation of the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Nate.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Nate is expected to reach the northern Gulf Coast as a hurricane when it makes landfall on Sunday morning. The storm is expected to bring direct impacts from wind, storm surge and heavy rain.
First Baptist Church, Mobile, leaders announced they have cancelled all Sunday (Oct. 8) activities because of the possibility of inclement weather. Others across the southwestern part of the state are evaluating how they should plan.
The National Weather Service is expecting Nate to be a compact, fast-moving storm, with most wind impacts closer to the center of the circulation. Landfall is expected Sunday morning between southeast Louisiana and the Florida peninsula. In Alabama, winds of 75 mph and gusts to 90 mph are expected near the coast. Further inland over the western two-thirds of the state, sustained winds of 35–45 mph with gusts to 60 mph are forecasted as far north as the Birmingham/Gadsden region.
“I have signed the State of Emergency, because it frees up personnel and resources in case there is a need to respond to any storm-related activity,” Ivey said. “State and local leaders are ready to respond if needed, but our people need to stay weather-aware and heed any directions given by local officials.”
The governor also ordered the State Emergency Operations Center in Clanton to activate to Level 3. This level of activation will allow Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) staff to monitor and prepare for the impact of Tropical Storm Nate. In addition, several state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Department of Human Resources, the Alabama Forestry Commission and the Alabama National Guard, have been notified and are prepared to respond.
“The time for residents to prepare is now. Please build or restock your emergency preparedness kit, have a plan to communicate with family members if you lose power, review your evacuation plan with your family, stock your vehicle with emergency supplies and have a method to receive the latest weather updates and emergency instructions,” AEMA Director Brian Hastings said. “It is important for Alabama residents to understand [that] the potential threat of this storm goes beyond the coastal counties. Everyone needs to closely monitor this system as it moves across the state in the coming days.”
Volunteers from Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief have been working in Texas and Florida since hurricanes hit those states in late August and mid-September. September 2017 — featuring Category 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria and Category 4 Hurricane Jose, was the most active month of any Atlantic hurricane season on record — according to weather.com.
Share with others: