Hurricane season is here, and Alabama Power is ready

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season has officially begun, and according to the experts, it could be a busy one.

This year, a higher-than-average 14 to 21 named storms are predicted, according to the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, produced by the Climate Prediction Center in association with the National Hurricane Center and other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) agencies. The number includes six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes.

Alabama Power’s storm team is ready to respond if needed.

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“Delivering dependable service to our customers is our priority, and our teams are ready to safely respond when severe weather strikes – to get the lights back on,” said Scott Moore, Alabama Power senior vice president of Power Delivery.

Alabama Power’s seasoned crews are experienced in dealing with all kinds of severe weather situations. But new tools and resources are also helping to minimize the impacts from storms while supporting customer communications, Moore said.

“Advanced technology, such as our smart grid, reduces outages and outage times for customers by automatically redirecting power, isolating faulted circuits, and restoring service,” Moore said.

Alabama Power customers can sign up for outage alerts, report outages from their smartphone and see outage updates instantly on the company’s online outage map.

“We are focused on providing timely, accurate communication to our customers when severe weather affects our area,” said Jonathan Porter, Alabama Power senior vice president of Customer Operations. “We know our customers look to us to restore service as quickly as possible when outages occur, and we are committed to providing real-time updates on outage conditions and expected restoration times.”

According to NOAA experts, the increased activity anticipated this hurricane season is attributed to several factors, including the ongoing La Niña that is likely to persist throughout the hurricane season, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon. An enhanced west African monsoon supports stronger African easterly waves, which seed many of the strongest and longest lived hurricanes during most seasons.

It is the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season predicted by NOAA officials.

With hurricane season underway, it’s important to have an updated plan in place to keep you and your loved ones safe. Here are some tips to help you prepare:

• Stay informed. Check weather forecasts regularly, through your local news or by using a NOAA weather radio.
• Get ready. Your emergency plan should include details on where you and your loved ones would go and how to get there if you’re told to evacuate. Identify someone, perhaps a friend or relative who doesn’t live in an evacuation zone, and coordinate with them to use their home as your evacuation destination. Be sure to account for pets, as most shelters do not permit them. Put your plan in writing and share it with those you care about. Learn more at gov/plan.
• Have supplies ready. Make sure you have what you need to survive at least 72 hours following a major weather event. Key components of an emergency kit include flashlights, water, medicine, nonperishable food, batteries and a hand-cranked or battery-powered weather radio. Be sure to charge cellphones ahead of a storm’s arrival. Learn more at gov/kit.
• Check your insurance. Call your insurance company or agent and ask for an insurance checkup to make sure you have enough homeowner’s insurance to repair or replace your home. Also, whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, consider a separate policy for flooding because standard homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover it. Act now because flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period. Learn more at gov/.

For more information about how to be prepared for storms, in any season, visit Alabama Power’s Storm Center at AlabamaPower.com/storm. Stay on top of weather forecasts from James Spann and his weather team with regular forecasts on Alabama NewsCenter and detailed information at AlabamaWx.com.