Alabama Power Outage Sparks Urgent Warning for 40,000 Residents Amid Severe Weather Onslaught
- Over 40,000 homes and businesses across central and southern Alabama lost electricity Wednesday night as a fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms, packing 70 mph winds and hail, tore through the region, causing widespread tree damage and downed power lines.
- Alabama Power crews were immediately deployed but warned that full restoration could take 48 to 72 hours for the hardest-hit areas, as dangerous conditions—including lightning and lingering high winds—have temporarily halted some repair efforts.
- Officials urge residents to avoid any downed power lines, treat all as live and deadly, and to report outages exclusively through the Alabama Power app to keep emergency lines clear for life-threatening situations.
- The sudden outage is especially critical for communities relying on medical devices, such as oxygen concentrators, with emergency management opening three overnight shelters in Tuscaloosa, Shelby, and Montgomery counties for those without backup power.
- A flash flood watch remains in effect until Friday morning, as saturated ground from prior storms increases the risk of falling trees and additional power disruptions; residents are advised to charge devices now and prepare an emergency kit in case the outage extends into the weekend.