Thank you so much to Barry and Holli for inviting me up to WQSB to talk severe weather safety today! Thanks to Blayke and Trey at Power 107.5 and Shane at MIXX 102.9 for taking time out of your morning to talk about preparing for an emergency! We depend on our local stations to get information out quickly and these folks are your experts at it! Thank you all so much!
We have been named as an Ambassador Weather Ready Nation County by the US National Weather Service Birmingham Alabama! We are very proud to be a part of Etowah County and all the citizens that live and work here!
We will conduct a TEST of the outdoor warning sirens today at 4:00pm. Outdoor warning sirens are tested every second Tuesday of the month at 4:00pm barring inclement weather.
During Mental Health Awareness month, we will share a few things that could help us all during a stressful day.
The Tornado Watch for Etowah County has been canceled.
Check www.shelteretowah.org to see which shelter is open near you.
Here is a list of all severe weather shelters in Etowah County. The Gadsden Public Library shelter will be unavailable for a short time as some repairs are being made there.
🚨Central Alabama is under an Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe storms today, with the threat beginning as early as 1 PM and lasting through early Thursday morning. A Flood Watch will be in effect from 4 PM today until 7 AM Thursday. Forecast timing has shifted earlier, and storms may begin developing as early as 1 PM, especially across northern and western counties. The overall threat window runs from 1 PM today through early Thursday morning. Main Threats Tornadoes: Damaging winds up to 60 mph Hail up to a quarter size Flooding: Etowah County is included in the Flood Watch and within the broader severe weather risk area. Expect: Storms developing this afternoon Increasing severity into the evening Overnight tornado and flooding potential Make sure you have multiple ways to receive warnings, especially since much of the threat occurs after dark.
We’re out at the Baptist Retirement Village today in Gadsden for a healthcare event handing out emergency preparedness information and some fancy EMA cups! Come and see us and our community partners!
Here is the latest forecast graphic from the US National Weather Service Birmingham Alabama for our area on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning this week.
Happy Star Wars Day from your Etowah County EMA!
Yesterday, a tractor‑trailer left Meighan Boulevard and went into the Coosa River in Gadsden. We are grateful to report that the driver is recovering in the hospital with minor injuries. Due to fluids released from the truck, Etowah EMA was called to assist with recovery and environmental cleanup. A number of agencies responded quickly and worked together to safely remove the vehicle and mitigate any hazards. We extend our sincere appreciation to the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office and dive team, St. Clair County dive team, Marshall County Emergency Management Agency, Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency, Pell City Police Department, Gadsden Police Department, Gadsden Fire Department, Rainbow City Fire Department, Alabama State Troopers, State of Alabama EMA, Whitaker Towing, and Marion Environmental, Inc., for all of the support. This incident once again demonstrated the strength and teamwork of our local and regional partners. We are thankful for everyone who contributed to the rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts. Special thanks to Shawn Rogers, Blake Farmer, Charity Mitchum, Kirk Webb, Tim Mckee, and other agencies that were involved.
Please be aware that Meighan Boulevard westbound traffic has been reduced to one lane across Meighan bridge due to a traffic accident. Please use caution when traveling in this area, or avoid it if you can.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham reports that much of Central Alabama is now included in a Level 2/5 severe weather risk, particularly Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. This upgrade reflects increasing confidence in storms capable of producing: Damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph Hail up to quarter size Brief, isolated tornadoes Stay weather-aware today and tonight. Ensure you have multiple ways to receive warnings, especially overnight. Charge devices and keep your NOAA Weather Radio or alerts enabled. Know your safe place in case a warning is issued. Sign up for free alert by texting join etowahcountyema to 58339 or go to https://etowahcountyema.org/emergency-alerts/
We could possibly see some rain and thunderstorms in our area over the next 48 hours. Please stay weather aware and have some form of notification if the weather becomes severe.
As we look back 15 years ago today, it was a generational weather day for Alabamians. There are so many stories from April 27th, 2011, and we at the EMA have ours as well. We would like to hear from you. Please feel free to post below where you were, what you were doing, and how this day 15 years ago impacted your life. We honor the memory of those we lost and continue to remain resilient going forward in our community.
There should be no impact to our area tonight. If you happen to be traveling west you might encounter some rain.
Just a heads up.
We are so thankful that Gadsden State invited us to their full scale exercise today! What a great job everyone did today! This is what being prepared looks like! Great job GSCC!!
Come on out and see us here at the George Wallace Senior Center in Glencoe for the health fair today!
We will TEST the outdoor warning sirens at 4:00pm today!
Thank you so much to those voices we hear when we need you and to the faces we hardly ever see! To be a dispatcher is truly a calling. We appreciate you more than you know and you deserve all the thanks you get for everything that you do! #Dispatchers #emergencyservices #emergency
It is too dry to burn in Etowah County! Temperatures continue to rise with little to no rain in the forecast.
🚨Fire Weather Watch from 4/12/2026 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM CDT for Etowah County and surrounding areas.
Monday morning Etowah EMA was called to the Keener community where a log truck had overturned into the ditch and spilled fuel onto the ground. The driver was uninjured and the spill was quickly contained and cleaned up! Thanks to Keener Volunteer Fire and Alabama State Troopers for all their help!
One of the most asked questions we get is, “What do ya’ll do when the weather is pretty outside?” We don’t just prepare for severe weather scenarios. We also respond to environmental problems like the pictures here. Early Easter morning local responders were called to the scene of a 1 vehicle accident in Gadsden. EMA was called when the fuel was spilled out of the truck tank and onto the median. Along with responders and city services, we make sure the spill is contained in accordance with state law. City, state, and county partners helped to clean up the contaminated areas afterwards. We would like to thank Gadsden Fire, Gadsden Police, Gadsden Public Works, and ALDOT for working together on this accident. The driver was not injured.
Scan the QR code or click on the link: https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/voterview
Weather Update from the National Weather Service – Birmingham, AL West and Central Alabama are under a Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5) for severe weather from 4:00 PM Saturday through 4:00 AM Sunday. Strong storms will be possible during this period. Please make sure you have multiple reliable ways to receive weather alerts. To receive notifications directly from Etowah County EMA, text: join etowahcountyema to 58339 Stay weather aware and ensure your devices are charged and ready
We have a true passion for what we do. We care about our community and everyone in it. Someone at your EMA is on duty 24/7.
Thank you so much Denise Cooey and the Dreamers at North Glencoe Baptist Church for inviting us to come speak to your group today! The coconut cake was great! We enjoyed our time!
Come and see your Etowah County EMA and get some Easter candy and an emergency preparedness coloring book! We are participating with the City of Southside at their Easter Egg Hunt and Spring Festival at the ball fields on Parker Anderson road. There’s plenty to do and see!
This is the latest forecast graphic for the frost advisory across east Alabama tonight.
The US National Weather Service Birmingham Alabama has issued a Frost Advisory for Etowah County beginning March 19th at 1:00am until March 19th at 8:00am.
Watch for changing weather patterns tonight into tomorrow as temperatures begin to fall throughout the night and morning Monday night into Tuesday.
