Severe Threat, Heavy Rain Expected For Tuscaloosa County Friday

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The National Weather Service forecast office in Birmingham is warning that strong to severe thunderstorms could impact a large part of Alabama beginning early Friday afternoon and continuing through late Friday night as a cold front moves into the region.

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The NWS says Tuscaloosa County is under a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe storms on Friday.

Meteorologists say the environment will be capable of producing damaging winds, a few tornadoes and large hail. Storms are expected to continue into Saturday, with a Marginal Risk now in place for much of Central Alabama as the cold front pushes through.

Strong to severe thunderstorms may also linger through the mid-afternoon hours.

In addition to the severe weather threat, a slow-moving boundary is expected to bring periods of heavy rainfall, with widespread totals of 2 to 4 inches possible. Isolated areas, particularly in the northwestern part of the state, potentially seeing more than 5 inches.

Tuscaloosa County EMA offers a free emergency notifications 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 other storm shelters across the Tuscaloosa metro.

The Tuscaloosa County EMA website also provides regular updates on when shelters open during severe weather events.

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