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You can check the daily temperature here, and grab some handy information on surrounding area weather and predictions as well as looking at a satellite view of our earth and how the clouds are stacking up over the state.

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Must-Haves for Surviving Hurricane Season

(ARA) - If you live in a hurricane-prone part of the country, you know that being prepared for a big storm makes a world of difference between being safe or sorry. You probably also know that the National Hurricane Center has once again predicted a very active 2006 hurricane season.

That means your hurricane supplies should be sitting in your house right now, as we are entering the last two peak months of hurricane season. Some common sense items include enough food for a week or so, bottled water and first aid supplies. But there are some additional items that you might not think of immediately that are just as important.

During a storm, you want to know what’s going on and what’s coming your way. Here are some ideas for keeping up-to-date on critical information:

• A battery-operated/hand-crank radio means you won’t have to rely on electricity to get your information; and for every 60 turns on the hand crank, you add an additional hour if your batteries run out.
• A NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Radio. NOAA’s national weather service staff prepare and produce Weather Radio broadcasts with the most up-to-date information available. You can find receivers for Weather Radio broadcasts at many retail outlets, including electronics,department, sporting goods and boat and marine stores or catalogs.
• In a storm, a hard-wired/land-line telephone that plugs into a standard jack may be more useful than a cell phone. If cell phone towers are damaged, your service could be interrupted, while land-line phones get their power from the phone company, which has emergency generators that kick in during a power outage.
• Likewise, during bad weather, satellite TV is more reliable than cable. Cable lines can be damaged and could take weeks to repair; with satellite TV, services offered through Tombigbee EC, if the power goes out, you can use a generator to power your television back up. Also, repair times are usually much quicker for satellite TV.

Once you know what’s going on, you’ll want to turn your attention to creature comforts. Assuming you’ve already taken care of food and water, here are some other handy supplies:

• A portable generator is a big investment, but you’ll be glad you have one if your power is knocked out by a storm. Make sure your home is equipped with carbon monoxide detectors before using the generator, as it can emit poisonous fumes.
• A battery-powered fan will keep you comfortable in closed-up spaces.
• Glow-in-the-dark sticks provide nonflammable, non-spark, portable lighting. As an added benefit, they’ll entertain the kids. You’ll also want to make sure all your flashlights have fresh batteries to see you through the storm.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy in case of any storm-related fires.

Some simple preparations before the storm hits will make surviving it easier.

For more information on the satellite services offered at Tombigbee please visit our website at www.Tombigbee.org or phone 205.468.3325, and ask for Luke Bozeman.