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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

Shelby County is now under a level 4 risk for a severe weather outbreak on Saturday, March 15.

According to the U.S. National Weather Service Birmingham, located in Calera, Shelby County is under a level 4 risk for severe storms on March 15 from 2-10 p.m.

“The latest forecast data coming in this morning continues to indicate a very concerning trend for Saturday into Sunday over the Deep South,” read an official Facebook post by NWS. “There’s a good chance that we’ll see what we call a ‘warm sector’ developing by Saturday afternoon with very moist and unstable air in place, combined with very strong wind shear to support severe storms.”

According to NWS, supercell thunderstorm development would be supported due to the expected unstable environment. Potential threats include: tornadoes, damaging winds of up to 70 mph and large hail up to the size of a golf ball.

Residents are encouraged to have multiple ways to get alerts about the weather, know where their “safe place” is and to continually check for updates.

“First of all, stay calm,” read a Facebook post by NWS. “We provide this information not to freak people out, or cause panic but rather to allow folks to become better prepared and make informed decisions. Check back occasionally for updates before the storms arrive. Have several different ways of getting warnings if they are issued for your area. Think about where you would need to go if a warning is issued for your area.”