NORTH ALABAMA HOTELS PREPARED TO HOST STORM TRAVELERS

With Interstate 65 tagged as one of the main evacuation arteries prior to the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Dennis over the weekend, North Alabama hotels are once again prepared to accommodate families who may have to leave their coastal homes.

"Last year North Alabama became a 'home away from home' for many of the families who were forced to leave the Alabama, Florida and Mississippi Gulf Coasts because of Hurricane Ivan" said Dana Lee Tatum, President & CEO of the North Alabama Tourism Association (NATA).

"Since early this week, when the first alerts were issued that Hurricane Dennis may come ashore in the same region, managers of the region's accommodation facilities began preparing their sites and staff to host the anticipated influx of storm evacuees," she said.

On Friday, Hurricane Dennis' maximum sustained winds increased to 150 mph, making it a very dangerous Category 4 major hurricane, according to meteorologists. Hurricane Dennis is expected to move across western Cuba on Friday afternoon and to emerge into the Gulf early Saturday.

Although the trek across Cuba may blunt the hurricane's strength, Dennis will still be a dangerous hurricane plowing NNW through the eastern Gulf of Mexico toward the northern Gulf Coast this weekend, according to meteorologists.

Governor Bob Riley said today that state agencies are making preparations for Hurricane Dennis and he urged citizens near Alabama’s Gulf Coast to begin taking general storm precautions now. "Because of our experience with Hurricane Ivan in 2004 our hotel managers understand what these families may be going through and are ready to go the extra mile to make them as comfortable as possible during this trying time," Tatum said.

The North Alabama Tourism Association is the state's largest not-for-profit regional tourism organization. It is supported by more than 450 members in the 16-northern most counties of Alabama. Information on more than 110 accommodations may be found at the organization's web site, www.northalabama.org or by calling 866-NORTH AL.

"A large majority of our member accommodations are located just off I-65, I-59 and I-565. We are also only a half-day's drive away from most coastal areas, so families can quickly get out of harm's way and just as quickly return home after the storm passes," said Tatum.

The Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) is coordinating emergency preparations and response, according to Alabama Governor Bob Riley. "The Alabama National Guard, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Transportation are already taking action to prepare for the possibility of landfall here in Alabama, and I’m encouraging all residents along our coast to take general storm precautions now to avoid a rush later," he said in a press release.

For storm updates residents may visit on the web the National Weather Service National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

For road closures in Alabama, residents may visit on the web the Alabama Department of Transportation web site at http://www.dot.state.al.us/closures.