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On Monday, Jan. 20, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has issued a State of Emergency for Pike County and 38 surrounding counties in Southern Alabama ahead of incoming winter weather.

The state of emergency goes into effect Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. and will remain in effect for the duration of the state of emergency. Alabama law specifies that a state of emergency ordinarily will last 60 days, however, it may be terminated earlier by written proclamation. 

“Alabama, once again, is faced with the potential for winter weather, but this time, for the southern half of the state,” Ivey said in a statement. “We are anticipating potentially dangerous and uncertain driving conditions in the impacted portions of the state, so I am urging Alabamians to err on the side of caution and limit their travel. Make any necessary preparations now, stay tuned in to your weather forecasts and stay warm.”

The counties included in the state of emergency are Pike, Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conch, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Randolph, Russell, Sumter, Tallapoosa, Washington and Wilcox Counties. 

A state of emergency declaration allows for the activation of the Alabama National Guard and other state agencies to respond to any emergency or recovery if ordered by Ivey. It also places a notice on the affected counties to prevent price gouging. It also waives certain regulations to help expedite the movement of emergency vehicles and supplies and closes state government offices in the area. 

The full proclamation from Ivey can be viewed here.