Are you prepared? March kicks off tornado season

The month of March brings two phenomena to Alabama. 

One is pleasant: the coming of spring, beginning March 20. One is potentially dangerous: the beginning of the three-month spring tornado season.

Meteorologists are unable to predict how severe a storm season will be, according to Tara Goggins, a forecaster with the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. And only one tornado directly impacted Birmingham or surrounding communities in 2017, occurring June 22 in association with Tropical Storm Cindy, Goggins said.

“However, just a single event can be considered severe for those impacted,” she said.

Preparedness is critical regardless of season, according to Goggins.

“We encourage everyone to be prepared for hazardous weather all year long, as tornadoes can occur in any month,” she said.

In fact, the NWS confirmed a high-end EF-0 touched down in Jemison on Feb. 7 as a cold front passed through the area.

NWS officials also caution that severe weather ― including floods and severe thunderstorms ― can develop quickly, and people should have their preparedness plans already in place.

A viable plan should include the following elements:

► A knowledge of terminology, such as the difference between watches and warnings;

► A knowledge of safety rules when severe weather strikes;

► A reliable method of receiving emergency information;

► The designation of an appropriate shelter;

► And drills with family or co-workers to test the plan.

Are people better prepared now for severe weather than in prior years, especially in the wake of the tornadoes that ripped through Alabama and neighboring states in 2011 and killed more than 300 people?

That’s “a tough question to answer,” Goggins said; however, “There’s always room for improvement,” she said.

The NWS “will continue to share as much safety information as possible in hopes that the public will take it and use it for their benefit,” Goggins said.

To find a link to the comprehensive Alabama All Hazards Awareness Booklet, visit weather.gov/mob/severe_alabama. You can also find links there to helpful NWS YouTube videos regarding weather safety and preparedness.

There is also a wealth of tips to prepare for tornadoes — or virtually any other severe weather or natural disaster — at ready.gov.