By Jim Stefkovich, Meteorologist, Alabama Emergency Management Agency

CLANTON –Thursday, 12:00 pm, July 2, 2026

Similar to yesterday, models indicate widely scattered to scattered thunderstorms developing mainly across the northern half of the state this afternoon and continuing into the early evening hours.  Especially near and north of I-20, clusters of strong-to-severe thunderstorms are possible, with damaging wind gusts of 50-65 mph, hail, and torrential rain.  There is no tornado threat.   All precipitation will end across the state sometime between 9 pm and 12 am.

Hot and humid conditions will continue through at least next Tuesday, with highs in the 90s and lows only reaching the middle 70s.  Heat index values could reach 110-114 in a few spots in northern Alabama, with 100-110 across the rest of the state today.  From Friday through the holiday weekend, afternoon heat index values will generally range from 100 to 107.  The Heat Advisories will likely be extended into the weekend for northern and central Alabama.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Children and pets should NEVER be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

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Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are again forecast during the afternoons and evenings across the northern half of the state both Friday and Saturday, with scattered thunderstorms statewide from Sunday through at least next Tuesday.   A few storms each day could produce wind gusts from 40-60 mph and frequent lightning.

Since this is a holiday weekend with a lot of outdoor activity, make sure you remain weather aware.  If you hear thunder, you are most likely within range of being struck by lightning.  Don’t become a statistic!  When thunder roars, go indoors.

One of Greater Cincinnati’s first riverboat casinos sunk off the Alabama coast July 1.

Argosy VI was a four-level, 408-foot-long riverboat casino that operated in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, until 2009. The boat once held the title of the “world’s largest riverboat casino,” holding up to 4,407 people and over 1,700 slot machines.

The boat is now part of Alabama’s artificial reef system off the state’s Gulf Coast. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources previously sunk a retired 271-foot coastal freighter in 2013 and a 250-foot former research vessel in 2018.

Watch the boat sink here:

A new Alabama law is changing what happens when a student is charged with making a terroristic threat, and it could affect how schools, parents and law enforcement respond long before a student ever returns to the classroom.

House Bill 7 took effect July 1 after lawmakers said school threats had become too common across the state. Supporters say the law is meant to make schools safer by creating one consistent process for every public school district while increasing the consequences for students who make threats.

For families, the biggest change comes after a student is charged.

Under the new law, a student charged with making a terrorist threat in the first or second degree must be removed from regular classes. Before returning to school, the student’s criminal case must be resolved, the student must complete a court-ordered psychiatric or psychological evaluation and counseling, and the student must meet any additional requirements set by the local school board. The law also requires the student’s parent or guardian to pay for the evaluation.

Walker County Schools Superintendent Dennis Willingham said his district has taken school threats seriously for years, but the law gives schools across Alabama the same roadmap for handling them.

“The main difference with the new law that just took effect today is that in order for a student to re-enter our school system and our schools, they have to pass a mental evaluation,” Willingham said. “I think that’s very important. That’s a step that’s been added that we’ve not had before.”

Many school districts already worked closely with law enforcement when threats were reported. The new law creates statewide standards that every public school system must follow.

Principals are now required to immediately notify law enforcement if a student’s conduct could warrant a charge of making a terrorist threat. Students charged under the law must be suspended from regular classes while both the criminal case and the school disciplinary process move forward.

Willingham said having one statewide policy removes uncertainty for school leaders.

“It does help us out as we move forward in ensuring that our schools are as safe as they possibly can be,” he said.

The law does more than remove students from the classroom.

If a student is convicted or adjudicated delinquent, the student must be expelled. Courts can also require the student and the student’s parent or guardian to reimburse law enforcement agencies, emergency responders and school districts for costs associated with responding to the threat.

Lawmakers also increased the criminal penalty for making a terrorist threat in the first degree and strengthened penalties for repeat offenders.

Willingham hopes the new law also starts conversations around the dinner table.

He says students do not always understand that a social media post, text message or joke can quickly become a criminal matter.

“Things they feel may be a joke can go south in a hurry and have really strong consequences,” Willingham said. “Those consequences could be that they’re expelled from the school system. They could be that the student ends up in jail.”

He encourages parents to talk with their children about thinking before they post online or make comments that could be interpreted as threats.

While much of the attention has focused on classrooms, the law also expands protections to other public places.

The updated statute includes threats against hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities that house disabled or immobile people.

As districts prepare for another school year, leaders hope they never have to use the new law. But if they do, they say every school in Alabama now has the same set of rules to follow and a clearer process for keeping students and staff safe.