Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency

10/21/2026

🌪️ It's Fall Severe Weather Awareness Day in Alabama!

Fall might bring cooler temperatures, football, and pumpkin spice everything, but in Alabama, it also means the return of tornado season. 🌪️🍂

While spring gets most of the attention, Alabama has a second peak in tornado activity during November and December. Tornadoes are not just a springtime concern!

At Jefferson County EMA, we want you to be ready BEFORE the warnings start rolling in.

✅ Know your safe place! Identify a basement or small, windowless interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.

📱 Have multiple ways to receive warnings. Don't rely on outdoor warning sirens alone, especially when you're indoors or asleep. Make sure you have a way to receive alerts overnight!

🎒 Have your emergency supplies ready. Flashlights, sturdy shoes, helmets, medications, and a way to charge your phone can make a big difference.

🚨 Know what to do when a warning is issued! A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes, so stay alert and be ready to act. A Tornado Warning means a tornado has been detected or indicated by radar. **Take shelter immediately!** Don't wait to see the tornado, hear sirens, or get a second notification. Move to your safe place, stay away from windows, and protect your head and neck until the threat has passed.

📲 Sign up for JeffCoAlerts! Get important emergency notifications from Jefferson County EMA. It's free, and it only takes a few minutes to register.

👉 https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=JeffersonCountyAL

Tornadoes don't check the calendar, and neither should your preparedness.

Enjoy the fall weather, Jefferson County. Just make sure you're ready when Alabama decides to throw a little spring into November! 🍁🌪️

10/21/2026

🌪️ Tornado season in Alabama runs from November into May. While the number and severity of tornadoes varies year to year, preparation is non-negotiable. Is your safety plan ready?

Key things to consider:

1️⃣ Determine your safe place before stormy weather. Examples: windowless interior room on the lowest floor, interior stairwell, basement, designated community shelter or safer place, and similar.

2️⃣ Have multiple reliable ways to receive weather alerts, including while asleep! Examples: NOAA Weather Radio, push alerts from media and/or your county emergency management, reliable weather apps., WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts), and friends and family.

3️⃣ Have a kit that includes essentials such as flashlights, whistle, first-aid kit, sturdy shoes, helmets, and bulky blankets.

It's Fall Severe Weather Awareness Day 2026.

10/13/2026

🟠 AIR QUALITY ALERT + A SUMMER ENCORE

Ozone levels in the Birmingham area are expected to reach Code Orange tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14. This means air quality may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults, and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

Sensitive groups should limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity, especially during the afternoon.

Meanwhile, October apparently missed the memo about sweater weather. There’s a medium to high chance of temperatures approaching record highs through late week.

A cold front is expected to arrive Saturday and bring cooler temperatures, but just how much cooler remains uncertain. Keep the sweaters on standby.

10/13/2026

Password hygiene is an essential part of cybersecurity. Creating strong, unique passwords is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your accounts and personal information from unauthorized access. Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters to make your passwords more difficult to guess. Avoid using easily identifiable information, such as birthdays, names, or common words. It is also important to use a different password for each account so that if one password is compromised, your other accounts remain protected. Consider using a trusted password manager to securely store and manage your passwords. Taking these simple steps can significantly improve your online security and help keep your information safe.

10/10/2026

Saturday Morning Storm Update 11:00 AM

Tragically, one person died after a tree fell onto a home in the Huffman area of Birmingham during last night’s storms associated with Hurricane Isaias. Our thoughts are with the family and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss.

Across Jefferson County, we received multiple reports of trees damaging homes. At this time, we are not aware of any additional storm-related injuries.

Power outages, downed trees, and debris remain the primary concerns across the county. Public works personnel, first responders, and utility crews are working hard to clear debris and restore power. Please remain patient and give these crews room to work safely.

10/10/2026

Early Saturday Morning 4:30 AM Update:
The Tropical Storm Warning for Jefferson County has been canceled and replaced with a Wind Advisory as conditions continue to improve this morning.
While the worst of Isaias is moving out, multiple trees and power lines are down throughout the county. Please avoid unnecessary travel if possible and give first responders, utility crews, and public works teams room to safely clear roads and restore services.
Rain and winds will continue to ease through the morning, with some lingering showers possible later today.
Please continue to use caution, never approach downed power lines, and stay aware of conditions in your area.

10/10/2026

We are now beginning to feel the outer bands of Isaias in Jefferson County. Rain and winds will continue to increase over the next few hours as the storm moves closer. By around 8 AM, we expect to experience the strongest impacts as the center of the storm passes through our area.
Downed trees and power lines remain the primary concerns, along with flooding in low-lying or poor-drainage areas.
We will continue to update our website as stronger winds move into central Alabama. Stay weather aware and use caution if you must travel.

Hurricane Isaias 10 PM Update:
Currently downgraded to a Category 1
Quickly moving northward across Alabama
Very gusty winds and heavy rainfall remain the primary threats

10/09/2026

Hurricane Isaias: Friday Morning Update
The latest National Weather Service briefing brings a few important changes for Jefferson County.

Jefferson County is now under a Tropical Storm Warning, with the strongest winds expected later tonight into early Saturday morning. Winds of 30–40 mph are possible, with some gusts reaching 50–60+ mph, creating the potential for downed trees, power lines, and power outages.

A Flood Watch is in effect from 7 PM tonight through 7 AM Sunday. Heavy rainfall may lead to localized flooding, especially in low-lying areas, near creeks and streams, and on roads.

Another change: Jefferson County has been removed from the Marginal Risk for severe weather on Saturday, lowering the tornado concern for our area.
Our main concerns remain strong winds, downed trees and power outages, along with localized flooding.

Finish preparations today, secure loose outdoor items, have multiple ways to receive alerts, and never drive through flooded roadways.
We will continue monitoring conditions and provide updates as new information becomes available.

10/08/2026

(10/08/26 10:47 am) A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for areas generally along and south of Interstate 20 from Friday Night into Saturday. The areas under the watch have a medium chance of experiencing Tropical Storm Force Winds (39-73 mph) within the watch period.

10/08/2026

Hurricane Isaias: Thursday Update 12:00 PM

Hurricane Isaias is now a Category 1 hurricane and continues moving toward the northern Gulf Coast, with landfall expected Friday evening. For Central Alabama, impacts are expected primarily Friday night through Saturday. The National Weather Service continues to identify heavy rain and gusty winds as the main concerns, with an additional low-confidence tornado threat east of the storm’s track.

For Jefferson County, here is what we are watching:
💨 Wind: Gusts could reach 40–50 mph late Friday night through Saturday, which could result in scattered to numerous downed trees, power lines, and power outages.
🌧️ Rain & Flooding: 2–4 inches of rain are expected across Central Alabama, with locally higher amounts up to 5 inches. Flash flooding will be possible, particularly in urban, low-lying, and poor-drainage areas.
🌪️ Tornadoes: A risk for isolated tornadoes may develop Saturday across portions of Central Alabama, particularly along and east of Interstate 65. Confidence in the tornado threat remains low to medium currently.

Now is the time to finish your preparations. Be ready for the possibility of power outages, secure outdoor items, make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, and never drive through flooded roadways.

Continue to get your weather information from official and reliable sources. Jefferson County EMA will continue monitoring Hurricane Isaias and will provide updates as additional information becomes available.