We in the Greater Valley Area are waiting with baited breath to see what kind of effect Subtropical Storm Alberto will have locally.

The storm, which has been gaining momentum for the past few days, is aimed to pass through Alabama and while it may not pass directly over our area, it is likely to cause a significant amount of rainfall.

Due to our status as a river-area, we are in danger of flooding, a fact that many in the area are more than familiar with.

Anyone that has lived in the south for any amount of time is familiar with the notion of making a run to Wal-Mart and buying as much bread and milk as can be carried.

Despite some level of humor in this, safety is a concern everyone should have.

Make sure you have enough non-perishable food and water in case power goes out for an extended period.

Also make sure you have any important documents within a safe and dry location, ideally in such a way that they can be taken with you if needed.

One particular bit of advice that works well in most situations is to have a go-bag packed and ready to go. This consists of a change of clothes, a few meals worth of food and certain items that always seem to come in handy in a tight spot, i.e. duct tape, flashlight, batteries, etc.

Hopefully nothing happens and the Greater Valley Area sees the passage of Alberto with only a few rainfalls and no damage.

But hope only gets you so far, it is always a good idea to prepare for a bad situation.