SATSUMA, Ala. — Satsuma residents will get a free lunch and a crash course in getting ready for the next storm when the United We Prepare disaster preparedness workshop comes to town Tuesday, Oct. 20. United Way of Southwest Alabama and Verizon are hosting the event at Steele Creek Lodge, 368 Juniper Ave., and the first 25 registered attendees will go home with a weather radio.
Doors open and lunch begins at 11 a.m. The program runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission and lunch are free, but organizers are asking people to register in advance.
The workshop is part of the United We Prepare Disaster Resilience Workshop series, which United Way of Southwest Alabama has taken to communities across Mobile County with Verizon’s support. Each session puts local leaders and emergency experts in front of residents so individuals and families can build a plan before the next emergency arrives.
Event details
- What: United We Prepare Disaster Resilience Workshop
- When: Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026
- Doors open and lunch: 11 a.m.
- Program: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Where: Steele Creek Lodge, 368 Juniper Ave., Satsuma, AL 36572
- Cost: Free admission and free lunch; registration requested
- Giveaways: Weather radios for the first 25 registered attendees; disaster preparedness kits while supplies last; prize drawings, including a generator, for those who complete program surveys
What attendees will learn
Organizers say the session is built around practical information households can put to use right away. Attendees will hear about strengthening household preparedness, understanding the local resources available to them, and making plans before an emergency occurs rather than in the middle of one.
Across the series, United Way of Southwest Alabama has described the workshops as covering emergency planning, disaster supply kits, insurance coverage, protecting important documents, fraud prevention and local resources. Sessions include lunch and resource tables staffed by local organizations, giving residents a chance to talk one-on-one with groups that respond to emergencies, support recovery and help communities prepare.
Disasters can knock out power, interrupt phone and internet service, shut down roads and cut off access to essential services and everyday routines, often with little warning. Preparing ahead of time, organizers note, gives families more options when conditions change quickly.
‘Preparedness starts before a storm is in the forecast’
Justine Bixler, president and CEO of United Way of Southwest Alabama, said the goal is to get information into residents’ hands while there is still time to use it.
“Preparedness starts before a storm is in the forecast or an emergency happens,” Bixler said. “United We Prepare gives families practical information, resources and connections they can use to make a plan now. We are grateful to Verizon and our community partners for helping us bring these resources directly into communities across Mobile County.”
Weather radios, kits and a generator drawing
Beyond the information, attendees have several tangible reasons to show up and register early.
The first 25 people who register will receive a weather radio. Weather radios receive alerts broadcast by the National Weather Service around the clock, and because many models run on batteries, they can keep a household informed when power and cell service are down — a common situation after a hurricane or severe thunderstorm along the Gulf Coast.
Disaster preparedness kits will also be handed out while supplies last. Attendees who complete the program surveys will be entered for chances to win prizes, including a generator.
Part of a Mobile County-wide effort
The Satsuma workshop is one stop in a series United Way of Southwest Alabama has hosted across Mobile County under United We Prepare, a disaster preparedness and resiliency initiative supported by Verizon. The initiative aims to connect residents with information, tools and organizations that can help before, during and after an emergency.
According to United Way of Southwest Alabama, the 2026 effort is backed by a $250,000 investment from Verizon and United Way Worldwide and includes the distribution of more than 500 disaster preparedness kits through workshops and nonprofit partners. Earlier free workshops this year were held in Tillman’s Corner in July and in Africatown in September. The organization also hosted a disaster resilience forum in August at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in Mobile.
Partners in the initiative include emergency management agencies, insurance experts, legal and consumer protection organizations, health care providers and other nonprofits — the same mix of groups residents typically need to deal with when a storm damages a home or disrupts daily life.
Why it matters in Satsuma
Satsuma sits in north Mobile County along the west side of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, close enough to the coast to feel the effects of tropical systems that move up Mobile Bay. Like the rest of the region, the city has lived through hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding rains and extended power outages over the years.
By the time the workshop takes place on Oct. 20, the Atlantic hurricane season will still be underway; it officially runs through Nov. 30. But organizers stress that preparedness is not only about hurricanes. Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flash flooding, winter weather and other emergencies can disrupt power, communication, transportation and access to services with little notice.
Bringing the session directly to Satsuma also means north Mobile County residents do not have to travel into Mobile to hear from emergency responders and recovery organizations, and they can make connections with the local groups they would likely turn to after a disaster.
Getting a head start at home
Residents planning to attend can come with questions about their own households. Common steps emergency managers recommend include:
- Making a family communication plan, including an out-of-town contact and a meeting place.
- Knowing your evacuation zone and route, and where you would stay if you had to leave.
- Building a supply kit with water, nonperishable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, chargers and first-aid supplies.
- Keeping copies of important documents — insurance policies, identification, deeds and medical information — in a waterproof container or stored securely in digital form.
- Reviewing homeowners, renters and flood insurance coverage before a storm threatens, since flood policies typically have a waiting period before they take effect.
- Planning for pets and for family members with medical or mobility needs.
Workshop presenters and resource tables can help residents fill in the details, including which local agencies to contact and how to watch out for scams that often follow disasters.
About United Way of Southwest Alabama
United Way of Southwest Alabama serves Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties. Created in 1926 as a Community Chest, the organization is marking its centennial this year. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in the community, and its work centers on four impact areas: Youth Opportunities, Healthy Communities, Financial Security and Community Resiliency.
The organization says it has raised and invested more than $279 million in the community over its history, and that the programs and initiatives it funds help more than 184,000 local people each year. The United We Prepare series falls under its Community Resiliency focus.
How to attend
The workshop is free and open to the public, and lunch is included. Because weather radios go to the first 25 registered attendees and kits are limited, residents who plan to attend are encouraged to register with United Way of Southwest Alabama as early as possible. Doors open at 11 a.m. Oct. 20 at Steele Creek Lodge, 368 Juniper Ave., in Satsuma.