Good morning West Alabama! It is Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

Monstrous Hurricane Milton will not have a direct impact on the state of Alabama, but Alabama is involved. There are a number of response teams from our state pre-deployed so they can jump into action as soon as Milton has cleared Florida. Alabama EMA, various fire/rescue, swift water rescue and Alabama Power teams are staged and ready to go.

This may be the worst tropical weather in Gulf Coast history, the second major storm in the last two weeks. Many in the path of Milton this week were devastated by Helene two weeks ago. The intensity is churned up by the warmest waters in history in the Gulf of Mexico.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency has sent in numerous additional resources to be ready to, "hit the ground running" once Milton has passed. The response will be a layered local, state and federal mission.

Milton has fluctuated in intensity over the past few days, rapidly becoming a giant Cat. 5 storm in mere hours on Monday. After brief weakening for eyewall replacement, the National Hurricane Center said Milton regained its Category 5 status Tuesday — and traveled like that for hours.

As of this morning's 8:00am NHC briefing Milton has again reduced in intensity to a Cat. 4. but that is nothing to bring relief. The storm retains catastrophic 55mph winds.

Keep the people of Florida in your thoughts and prayers and contribute to relief efforts, literally millions of people in the Sunshine State will need it for months and perhaps years to come.

As Alabama's weather? There could be some minor beach erosion and rip currents along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

Read More: Milton Aims for Florida & Brings Concerns to Alabama’s Coastline

The Forecast:

Today
Sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight
Clear, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 53. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday Night

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The Tuscaloosa City Council voted unanimously last night to ask ALDOT to revise their plans for construction of the new Woolsey Finnell Bridge. Current plans call for elimination of Julia Tutwiler Drive under McFarland Blvd.  The construction will be in Council President Kip Tyner’s district, and he told the council it will lengthen emergency response, hurt current businesses, reduce business recruitment and create problems with traffic at nearby schools.

Tyner is also asking citizens to write to the governor’s office to request the ALDOT make the change.


Any project of any kind is going to draw opposition from some people. Last night a group of residents showed up at Indian Hills Country Club to voice concerns about the planned Sports Illustrated Resort. The public briefing was conducted by District 3 Tuscaloosa Councilman Norman Crow.

 The concerns voiced were the usual ones about traffic congestion and property values. Questions were also raised about timeshare units and the problems they cause.

The first of its kind resort will include a 9-story hotel, 150 condos and 250 timeshare units.

More than 500 turned out for Stillman College's third-annual national Night Out event on campus last night.

The goal of the event was to bond the community and develop relationships with law enforcement and other first responders.

Read More: Tuscaloosa’s National Night Out at Stillman College was a Huge Success


Work begins this coming Tuesday on the long-planned Gordo By-pass project in east Pickens County. The work will transition U-S 82 in that area from 2-lane to 4-lane and will take two years to complete.


Northport has adopted a new city seal. It depicts the Tuscaloosa Railroad Bridge over the Warrior River, a riverboat and a crane or heron flying overhead.


Brookwood High and the Tuscaloosa County School System are mourning the loss of the Brookwood School Resource Officer. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Johns, who passed away Tuesday, served 23 years with the sheriff’s department.

Deputy Johns was honored by being named the Brookwood High Homecoming Parade Grand Marshall.



Topping Sports News:

Former Alabama players are still weighing on Saturday’s embarrassing Crimson Tide loss to Vanderbilt. Bama Heisman winning running back Mark Ingram, on his Triple Option podcast called the loss unacceptable. The former New Orleans Saint star questioned how Bama could take the momentum gained after the astounding win over Georgia and squander it.
Ingram believes the Tide defense is in crisis mode.


The NCAA Division I Council has voted to shorten transfer windows in football and basketball from 45 days to 30 days. However, the body opted against eliminating the spring transfer window, which was recommended by the Football Oversight Committee.

Critics point out the action does not resolve the portal timing and impacts on post-season and spring football rosters.


There is college football on tap for tonight at it involves the Jacksonville State Gamecocks of Head Coach Rich Roderiguez. The Conference USA match-up of JSU and New Mexico State finds the Gamecocks a 20.5-point favorite.

Jax State is 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the conference. NM State is 1-4 and 0-2 in the 6:30 CDT game tonight.


Click on TuscaloosaThread.com for the latest West Alabama news, sports and weather. Better yet, download the app.
Have a wonderful "hump-day" and Go Gamecocks!

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