As Tropical Storm Bertha edged toward the Alabama coast, Baldwin County emergency officials found themselves fighting more than just the weather. Alongside tracking storm surge, rip currents and flooding risk, they spent time trying to steer the public away from exaggerated storm claims spreading online.
Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Tyler said sensational or misleading storm content tends to surface every time a system enters the Gulf, driven by accounts chasing attention rather than accuracy. “Sensationalism draws attention, and in this day and age, people are addicted to attention-seeking, so that’s always going to be something that’s with us,” Tyler said. He described it as a persistent challenge across emergency management, one that requires constant pushback with accurate, calm information.
Tyler urged residents and visitors not to base their storm decisions on posts designed to chase clicks or drive engagement rather than inform. “Don’t follow internet hype where people are chasing clicks or trying to monetize scaring the devil out of people,” he said. Instead, he encouraged people to understand their specific situation and real risks, then plan accordingly rather than react to alarmist claims.
The actual forecast for Bertha, according to information EMA received from the National Weather Service, called for a comparatively low-grade storm, with winds not expected to exceed 58 mph. Even so, officials continued closely monitoring storm surge, rip current danger and flooding potential, since Bertha’s slow movement carried the risk of dumping heavy rain in short bursts. Rainfall totals were forecast to reach as much as eight inches in isolated areas, and Tyler noted that stalled outer bands could raise localized flooding risk in low-lying spots even without a major storm arriving.
With South Alabama having gone several years with relatively little tropical activity, Tyler said the current stretch of storms has meant a heightened level of coordination between county emergency management, municipal partners and the National Hurricane Center as advisories are issued. “Obviously we get heightened awareness at this point in time where we’re looking at forecasts and the National Hurricane Center puts out routine advisories,” he said.
Tyler asked residents to help spread the message that reliable information, not viral posts, should guide storm decisions. “We ask everybody around here is to help us amplify that message,” he said. “You need to have multiple ways to receive information. You can get that from the National Weather Service, from the Baldwin County EMA, local news outlets. Get your weather information from trusted local sources. Don’t refer back to your favorite weather app from Omaha, Nebraska, or from where you’re from.” That guidance, he said, applies just as much to vacationers unfamiliar with the area as it does to longtime residents, since visitors often lack the local context to judge which warnings matter most.
As tropical activity continues through the season, Tyler urged the public to keep a plan in place and stay familiar with evacuation routes well before a storm forces the issue.