If you're coming from Colorado, California or overseas, North Alabama's storms are the biggest lifestyle change. Here's when they happen, how warnings reach you, what the sirens do and don't do, where to shelter (Huntsville and Madison have no public safe rooms), and how Redstone Arsenal sends alerts.
When severe weather happens
The National Weather Service office in Huntsville says severe weather can happen any time of year, with two peaks. March, April and May have the most severe weather, and there's a second peak in November.[1] NWS Huntsville's fall climatology shows a second-season spike in October and November. It cites the November 15, 1989 Huntsville tornado and the 2002 Veterans Day weekend outbreak.[2]
Many PCS moves happen in summer, so the November season is the first severe weather many newcomers see. Make your plan before Halloween.
Watch vs. warning
- Tornado watch: tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Review your plan, check your supplies and your safe spot, and be ready to act.[3]
- Tornado warning: a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.[3]
Get warnings at least two ways
The Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency (HMCEMA) says outdoor sirens sound whenever a tornado warning is issued for Madison County. Sirens are meant to warn people outside. HMCEMA says to have at least two ways to get a warning, because any one can fail. Options include a NOAA Weather Radio, phone apps and local TV.[4]
- ☐ Turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone, and install at least one weather app with location alerts.
- ☐ Get a NOAA Weather Radio with battery backup for overnight storms.[4,1]
- ☐ Sign up for City of Huntsville alerts (CivicReady), which include an HMC EMA group.[5]
- ☐ Redstone workforce: the installation uses the ALERT! mass warning notification system. CAC holders register at alert.csd.disa.mil. People without a CAC can email the Garrison Installation Emergency Operations Center at [email protected].[6]
- ☐ Pick a local TV meteorologist to follow during storm days.[4]
Where to shelter
Huntsville and Madison don't have public safe rooms. Some churches and other buildings may announce they're open as shelters during severe weather.[7] HMCEMA's guidance:
- At home, there's no guaranteed safe place, but a basement or a windowless interior room on the lowest floor (a bathroom, closet or hallway) is best. Get under something sturdy and cover yourself with blankets or pillows. Stay away from corners and outside walls. Opening windows doesn't help.[7]
- In large buildings, go to the designated shelter, usually an interior room on the lowest floor. Take the stairs. Avoid big rooms with high, unsupported roofs, such as gyms, warehouses and sanctuaries.[7]
- Leave mobile homes before the storm. Go to a community shelter or a friend's sturdy house.[7]
- Go to a community shelter during the watch. Driving during a warning is dangerous.[7]
Outside Huntsville and Madison city limits, HMCEMA lists community storm shelters, for example in Monrovia, Triana, Harvest, Meridianville, Gurley, Owens Cross Roads and New Hope. Each one is run by its own community, sets its own opening rules and pet policy, and may not always be open. Check the list and map before you need it.[7]
Pick housing with storms in mind
When you tour rentals, ask where you'd shelter. Look for a lowest-floor interior room with no windows, or a basement.[7] Upper-floor apartments and mobile homes need a plan to get somewhere safer during a watch.[7] Compare areas in our neighborhoods guide and housing options in the Redstone housing guide.
Build a kit, and buy it tax-free
The Redstone garrison safety office points to FEMA's basic kit: water (one gallon per person per day for several days), several days of nonperishable food, a battery radio and NOAA Weather Radio, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, extra batteries, a whistle, and phone chargers with a backup battery.[6]
Alabama's Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is the last full weekend of February, from 12:01 a.m. Friday to midnight Sunday. No state sales tax is due on covered items. Local governments choose whether to join, and the City of Huntsville and City of Madison are listed as participating.[8]
Weather and Redstone Arsenal
On Redstone, the ALERT! system notifies service members, civilians and their families about inclement weather and other events that need immediate notice. Register, and practice your building's emergency action plan.[6] Gate hours change, so check current gate hours.
First-week weather checklist
- Find your shelter spot at home and at work.[7]
- Set up two or more ways to get warnings.[4]
- Sign up for Huntsville alerts and Redstone ALERT![5,6]
- Build a basic emergency kit.[6]
- Add the February tax holiday to your calendar.[8]
Frequently asked questions
When is tornado season in Huntsville, AL?
Do Huntsville tornado sirens mean I should take shelter?
Are there public tornado shelters in Huntsville or Madison?
How does Redstone Arsenal send weather alerts?
When is Alabama's severe weather sales tax holiday?
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on October 24, 2026. Rules, hours and figures change, so confirm with the official source before you act.
- National Weather Service Huntsville: Severe Weather Awareness (spring and November peaks)
- National Weather Service Huntsville: Tennessee Valley Fall Tornado Climatology
- National Weather Service: Tornado watch vs. warning
- Huntsville-Madison County EMA: Siren System Map
- City of Huntsville: City Alerts (CivicReady) subscriptions
- Army.mil, Sept. 12, 2024: Workers advised to plan ahead for when disaster strikes (Redstone ALERT! system, FEMA kit)
- Huntsville-Madison County EMA: Safe Room Locations
- Alabama Department of Revenue: Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday