POWERGRAMS

18 W hen hurricanes track toward the central Gulf Coast, preparing to respond quickly is a top priority for Alabama Power. That's why the company counts on the Coastal Weather Research Center at the University of South Alabama (USA) in Mobile, which is often on the front lines of severe storms. "Weather forecasts are important to Alabama Power, particularly Mobile Division, when we're making decisions that impact storm planning, such as bringing in crews, setting up staging areas and arranging for outside resources," said Dee Anne Odom, Mobile Division Distribution Support manager. "Although we use several weather services, I feel that meteorologists at a local organization like the Coastal Weather Research Center are paying extra attention to the weather in our area. They live here, and they and their families are personally impacted." Alabama Power indeed has a long, well-established relationship with the Coastal Weather Research Center, which provides weather information to businesses and industries and helps educate future meteorologists. The Alabama Power Foundation was a leading sponsor of the new state-of-the-art facility when the center moved to the university's Science Laboratory Building in 2019. The foundation helped fund the project with a grant and has supported USA for nearly three decades. As a testament to this partnership, the facility is named the Alabama Power- USA Coastal Weather Research Center. "The financial support that we received from the Alabama Power Foundation has allowed us to turn this place into a real showplace," said Director Pete McCarty. "That association with Alabama Power provides immediate name recognition and credibility for our facility." Bill Williams, a 53-year veteran in meteorology, founded the Coastal Weather Research Center in 1988 with five clients. Today, the center provides severe storm warnings and weather forecasts to 150 businesses, governmental agencies and educational institutions across the eastern and southern United States. Shipping, steel, chemical, utility and construction companies are among businesses served by the facility. Small "mom and pop" companies, like homebuilders and nurseries, are also the center's clients. "We are not in competition with the National Weather Service, which works for the general public," said Williams, director emeritus of the Coastal Weather Research Center and USA associate professor emeritus. "The National Weather Service provides forecasts to hundreds of thousands of people, so dealing with individuals is impossible. But my idea was to set up an operation on the USA campus that could conduct weather climate research and provide WEATHER RESEARCH CENTER CRUCIAL FOR COASTAL FORECASTS By Carla Davis Mobile Division Distribution Support Manager Dee Anne Odom The new Coastal Weather Center opened at USA in 2019.

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