ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, SportsSevere weather gear flies off shelves

As a part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, Governor Robert Bentley is proposing a tax free holiday on the supplies you need  to make sure you're ready when severe weather hits.

The proposed tax free holiday includes everything from weather radios, to flashlights, and even helmets. 

"That will encourage a lot of people to go get it because it's serious," Kiara Levitt, a senior at Center Point High School said.

 "It went right over my house," Kijohnna Taylor, a student at Center Point High School said. "The house was shaking, it felt like the door was going to cave in. I've never experienced that before."

After living through January 23rd's EF 3 twister, families in Center Point say, they're adding a few things to their severe weather plan.

"Like James said, you can't depend on the outdoor warning siren and I never heard it that morning," Joyce Willis, a Center Point resident said. "Never heard the siren. So I said, you know, I need to get that weather radio."

And if Governor Bentley's proposal passes, Alabamians will have a little extra incentive for putting a plan in place.

 "I'm going to go get another radio because the one at the house isn't working," Levitt said. "Then I'm going to look at the list and get the things we don't have like helmets and stuff."

"I think about it every day," Taylor said. "Tornado season is coming up and it's really going to be a rocky road - so going to get those things, we should be prepared."

Store managers tell us, since the April tornadoes and the January storms, they've drastically increased their supply of these types of items. Governor Bentley says, with the proposed tax holiday, he's hoping more Alabamians will be better prepared.