Chelsea family prepares safe space in basement ahead of severe weather

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Hoover Fire Chief Clay Bentley says now is the time to communicate a plan with family members, ahead of the severe weather headed our way.

“Pay attention to the weather, know what’s going on, and be aware and so you’ve got plenty of time to get to where you need to be to protect yourself.”

The City of Hoover does not have tornado shelters for general public so the city says it's imperative to put in a severe weather plan in place now.

Annette Rowland is the communications director for the American Red Cross of Alabama and Mississippi. But she’s also a mom and a survivor of the 1998 Oak Grove tornado. She said she lost two young friends in that storm. Now that she’s a mom, she says safety is priority one.

“I’ve started talking with my kids and letting them understand what those alerts are going to look like and what we need to do quickly,” Rowland explained.

Alabama native Annette Rowland has been through this before and has her family’s emergency supplies at the ready.

“We’ve got protein bars and food, ready to eat meals in case we lose power, I’ve also have stuff for my dogs.”

She says one of the most important items to have on hand for the kids, are these bike helmets:

“Those winds, you want to protect your head,” she explained. “It’s precious and so these helmets are rated and we make sure the kids gets these on so they can stay safe and then we have them for the adults as well.”

Rowland, a self described “weather nerd” also has a solar powered weather radio to stay informed about tornado warnings. Weather radios sold out quickly at the Ace Hardware Store in Homewood on Friday. We caught up with Tara Hulgan as she was picking up two on order.

Having a plan to stay safe is key, according to Bentley. We asked him where to go in your home if you don’t have a basement.

“Typically the center part of your home without windows, a smaller room if possible, and have some padding and some blankets, maybe some pillows and things to protect yourselves,” he said. “I would not be in a manufactured or a mobile home during the next 24 hours.

Chief Bentley says people need to be prepared and need to take this very seriously.