Much Of Alabama Bracing For Latest Round Of Severe Weather Wednesday

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The National Weather Service is urging those across much of Alabama to stay alert with respect to the possibility for severe weather Wednesday afternoon into the evening, as a line of storms heads toward the state.

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Forecasters say strong-to-severe thunderstorms will be likely in the late afternoon and early evening, in addition to heavy rain, damaging wind gusts in excess of 80 mph and the possibility of tornadoes.

Wind will definitely be one of the most noticeable factors, with non-thunderstorm gusts expected to be up to 50 mph.

"Wind gusts could lead to fallen trees or tree limbs resulting in property damage or power outages," the NWS said in its lasted forecast. "Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible this evening and overnight, which could lead to flash flooding in low lying or poor drainage areas."

Tuscaloosa County EMA offers a free emergency notification service - TuscALERT — that sends updates on severe weather directly to your phone, email or mobile device. Click here to sign up for TuscALERT.

Click here for a map of storm shelters across the Tuscaloosa metro. The Tuscaloosa County EMA website also provides regular updates on when shelters open during severe weather events.

Those in Jefferson County can click here to view a list of community storm shelters.

Here is a more comprehensive list of storm shelters statewide, as provided by WAFF 48.

This is a developing story. Be sure to follow us here for live updates as severe weather moves over Alabama