Alabama Power prepared to respond to NOAA prediction of above-normal hurricane season
On May 22, NOAA’s National Weather Service released its prediction of activity for the 2025 Atlantic Ocean Basin hurricane season that runs from June 1 through November 30. The outlook – which predicts hurricane activity, not the likelihood of landfall – forecasts a 60% chance of an above-normal season, along with a 30% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
The elevated seasonal threat to lives and property in Alabama may lead to increased awareness – and potentially lifesaving actions – among residents and businesses across the state. For Alabama Power, being prepared to respond to storm-related power outages and other customer needs in areas affected by hurricanes is an ongoing priority.
“We are prepped and ready for hurricane season,” said Scott Moore, senior vice president of Power Delivery. “That’s part of our commitment to providing dependable service for customers. We want to make sure our customers are prepared as well, starting with awareness that the threat is a little higher than normal this year.”
When hurricanes impact Alabama, crews and equipment from Alabama Power are on the ground as soon as conditions are safe, acting promptly and effectively to restore power and help people and communities begin the recovery process. To minimize the number of homes and businesses affected, Alabama Power uses outage prevention technology that isolates problem areas and reroutes electricity to prevent broader outages.
During thunderstorms and tornadoes in February that caused outages affecting more than 120,000 Alabama Power customers, the company’s prevention technology kept nearly 30,000 additional customers from experiencing prolonged outages. Since Alabama Power began implementing this technology, more than 2 million outages have been prevented.
“Alabama Power is committed to restoring power safely and efficiently,” said Moore. “Outages are unavoidable during hurricane season. By getting power restored as quickly as possible, we help our customers begin getting life back to normal.”
Vegetation management is another important part of Alabama Power’s year-round readiness for hurricanes and other severe weather. Fallen trees are the leading cause of outages, so controlling vegetation to keep trees and underbrush away from power lines is vital. Alabama is one of the most forested states in the country, and much of Alabama Power’s rights of way for transmission (more than 11,000 miles) and distribution (more than 51,000 miles) account for nearly 200,000 acres that intersect throughout the state, requiring constant monitoring and maintenance.
To meet customers’ needs during outages, Alabama Power supplements its efforts through relationships with contractors and other external resource providers. They are called in as needed to speed up the process of restoring power to every customer.
When hurricanes and other disasters cause major outages in places outside Alabama, crews and equipment from Alabama Power are regularly deployed to assist in restoring electric service. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene became the most destructive in the history of Southern Company. Alabama was on the fringe of the hurricane path, with 27,000 Alabama Power customers affected. Once those outages were resolved, the company sent crews to assist Georgia Power in restoring service to more than 600,000 customers without power.
“Alabama Power customers come first, but once we’re in the clear, we are ready to help others,” said Corey Sweeney, manager of Storm Center Operations. “We sent more than 1,000 Alabama Power employees and 500 contractors to Georgia – the largest storm crew we’ve ever provided to another state. They replaced more than 2,700 poles, 1,150 transformers and nearly 11,850 spans of wire.
“Hurricanes leave devastation. We work to minimize that by keeping our customers aware and informed. But when it happens, Alabama Power is prepared to help alleviate it.”
While both Alabama Power and Georgia Power are owned by Southern Company, Alabama Power also supports electric utilities outside its corporate family. Early in the 2024 hurricane season, the company sent a 350-person storm team to Houston, along with 300 contractors, to help restore power after Hurricane Beryl. That continued Alabama Power’s long history of mutual assistance relationships with utilities serving customers in states from Texas to New Jersey – meaning that crews from those states also aid in Alabama restoration efforts as needed.
Alabama Power’s work in Texas and Georgia helped earn the company a 2024 Emergency Response Award from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). The award honored the excellence of the company’s storm response team, most particularly the commitment to aiding other electric companies during times of need.
Alabama Power provides customers with information and tips on what to do before, during and after severe weather events. At AlabamaPower.com, customers can sign up for outage alerts, report an outage at their location, and check an updated map of affected areas. The Alabama Power Storm Center monitors incoming weather and prepares teams to respond as quickly and safely as possible.
All of these preparations and resources are in place as the 2025 hurricane season begins. The NOAA forecast predicts three to five major hurricanes, meaning categories 3, 4, and 5, with winds of 111 miles per hour or above. A total of six to 10 hurricanes is projected, storms with winds of 74 mph or higher. Storms are named when sustained winds exceed 39 mph, with the NOAA model calling for 13 to 19 named storms this year.
According to NOAA, its forecasts should continue to improve. The model it uses, the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System, is undergoing an upgrade the agency said will result in better tracking and intensity estimates, allowing for more accurately targeted watches and warnings.
Whatever the upcoming hurricane season brings, Alabama Power is ready.