Confidence was rising about the threat for severe weather in Alabama on Tuesday.

Storms were expected to move into the state from the west this afternoon and cross from west to east through the nighttime hours.

The strongest storms could produce tornadoes — including a strong one — wind gusts that could take down trees and power lines, hail up to the size of golf balls and heavy rain.

The National Weather Service urged Alabamians to get prepared now for the possibility of bad weather later today.

A few quick things to do:

1. Know your location on a map.

This could give you valuable time to prepare for a storm entering your area. Storms will be approaching from the west today. Know your county and your spot within that county on a map, and look at the counties to the west of you, which could have to deal with storms first. Then you’ll know what could be coming your way. Here’s a map from the National Weather Service to help.

2. **** IMPORTANT ****

If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, think about your options. Keep an eye on the counties west of you to give you extra time to prepare, because if a tornado warning is issued for you, then you need to get out. Do you have a safe place to go? Can you get to it fast? A community storm shelter nearby? More people lose their lives in mobile homes in tornadoes because those homes can be pulled from their anchors and tossed around. You don’t want to experience that.

3. Charge your stuff.

Your power could go out sometime tonight. By this afternoon make sure your phone is fully charged. Your computer too. Got a battery-powered radio? Check to see if the batteries are still good. Find the flashlights. Just in case.

4. Silence is NOT golden today.

Make sure that fully-charged phone of yours is not set on “silent” tonight. A lot of the storms could roll through during the overnight hours. Make sure you are able to get warnings if they are issued for your area tonight. That includes when you are asleep. Don’t rely on a siren to wake you. They are not meant to be heard inside.

5. Know where you will go if a storm is coming.

If you find yourself in a warning polygon, don’t waste valuable seconds getting your “safe place” shipshape. Go, right now, and make sure you can get to it easily, that you have room to shelter there. Don’t know where your best safe place is? If you have a basement that would be best — but make sure you are away from windows. If no basement go to the very center part of your house — again away from windows.

6. Have a helmet?

Put it in your safe place. Just in case. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around, right? Get anything else you may need to protect you and your family.

7. Don’t ignore severe thunderstorm warnings.

Today’s storms could really pack some high winds. Wind could send a tree straight through your house or car and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s not bad advice to shelter from today’s severe thunderstorms like you would from a tornado.

Here’s more advice from the National Weather Service: