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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

The potential of hazardous weather conditions is being forecast for Chilton County through Wednesday.

According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, “Strong to severe thunderstorms are likely across Central Alabama today through tomorrow morning. Primary threats include damaging wind gusts, large hail, and a few tornadoes” today into tonight.

Chilton County is under a flood watch until Jan. 4 at noon and a tornado watch until 5 p.m. on Jan. 3. Northern Chilton County is under a tornado warning until 1:30 p.m.

The Chilton County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to have a way to receive weather warnings and have a plan for sheltering in a safe place, if there is a severe weather warning. The Chilton County E911 app is one way to receive severe weather alerts.

The city of Clanton has announced that storm shelters in the city are open, and the shelters throughout the county are expected to open early afternoon.

The basement of a building or the interior room of a house with zero windows are also recommended as safe places during a tornado warning.

The first wave of the storm is expected to reach Chilton County around noon, and severe weather could be in the area through 5 a.m. Wednesday.

“The severe threats could come in two rounds, so the timing window remains quite large. Threats include tornadoes, damaging winds to 70 mph, and quarter size hail. Localized flooding may also occur,” the National Weather Service in Birmingham stated in a Facebook post.

NWS is also reminding Central Alabama residents not to drive through water on flooded roads.