The Butler County Commission approved a resolution for a sales tax holiday for severe weather preparedness early next year.

Alabama will hold its seventh annual Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday beginning Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. and ending Sunday, February 25, 2018 at midnight, to give shoppers an opportunity to purchase certain items free of state sales tax.

Businesses around Butler County are slated to participate.

Butler County Emergency Management Agency director Kris Ware said that recent snowfall that Butler County experienced is an example of how quickly and unexpectedly Mother Nature can strike.

“It’s very useful, because it reminds us that we need to always be prepared,” Ware said. “The snow that happened last weekend in our area wasn’t that severe, but it could’ve been.

“We always need to have all of our supplies ready, whether it’s for a snowstorm, tornadoes or a hurricane—all three of those events have happened within the past two months in Butler County.”

The exhaustive list of covered items goes beyond the standard fare of weather radios and flashlights.

Shoppers can expect to save on:

• AAA, AA, C and D-cell batteries

• Cell phone batteries and chargers

• Tarps, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths and other flexible, waterproof sheeting

• Ground anchor systems, such as bungee cords or rope, or a tie-down kit

• Duct tape

• Plywood, window film or other materials specifically design to protect window coverings

• Non-electric food storage coolers or water storage containers

• Non-electric can openers

• Artificial ice, blue ice, ice packs and reusable ice

• Self-contained first-aid kits

• Fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and gas or diesel fuel tanks or containers

“There were things on the list that I didn’t even thing about,” Ware added. 

“Duct tape is on this list.  So are non-electric food storage coolers and non-electric can openers, plastic drop cloths and sheeting, and things like that. I think it’s good that they’ve really gone over this list and put things on here that we do forget about. It’s anything to prepare us for a disaster that could happen.”

Ware added that she plans to aid residents with programming weather radios during the sales tax holiday weekend.