Lifesaver Radar data seen on WAKA to be shared with Alabama EMA to improve storm safety

The Action 8 Lifesaver Radar systems are provided by Climavision and are located in the Wilcox County town of Pine Hill and near the Alabama/Mississippi state line. – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – Data from the two Lifesaver Radar systems you see regularly on WAKA Action 8 News will now be shared with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to improve storm safety efforts statewide.

Climavision, the company that provides the radar systems exclusively to WAKA in our area, has announced a new partnership with the Alabama EMA. The two radars that serve our area are located in the Wilcox County community of Pine Hill and near the Alabama/Mississippi state line. A third radar system in Moulton covers an area west of Huntsville in north Alabama.

WATCH: What are the advantages of Action 8’s Lifesaver Radar?

These radars are located in what had been “radar gaps” — areas of Alabama not adequately covered by government radars due to their distance away from those radar sites. Because of those gaps, tornadoes could go undetected, putting lives at risk.

Even those who don’t live in the radar gap areas can still benefit from these radars because they provide the first look at incoming storms, which often move west-to-east across the state.

This image shows Action 8 Chief Meteorologist Shane Butler illustrating the approximate coverage area of WAKA Action 8’s two Lifesaver Radar systems, provided by Climavision. These systems solve the “radar gap” problem. The orange circles represent existing government radars that don’t cover all of west and southwest Alabama. – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News

The radar units that you see on Action 8 News were installed in 2024. Since that time, data has been used by the meteorologists at WAKA. Now, that data can be available to the EMA.

The partnership means that emergency managers across the state will now have access to data from these radars so they can
respond to critical weather events in regions they once couldn’t monitor. It represents a public-private collaboration without the government assuming the cost or complexity of owning and operating radar infrastructure.

WAKA Action 8’s second Lifesaver Radar was installed in December 2024 in Pine Hill, Alabama, in Wilcox County. — Photo from Climavision

“Our responsibility is to ensure every community in Alabama, urban and rural, has access to the same level of situational awareness when severe weather threatens,” Jeff Smitherman, Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, said. “Closing coverage gaps takes partnership across federal, state, county and private-sector teams, and this approach allows us to do that in a way that is both collaborative and fiscally responsible.”

The National Weather Service relies on its nationwide NEXRAD radar network to provide the backbone of U.S. weather forecasting with upper-level coverage. The Lifesaver Radars are specifically designed to cover lower levels in a 60-mile radius.

Like Alabama, many states are looking to fill the same type of gaps through public-private partnerships.

“Weather planning and response requires tight communication and coordination with federal, state and local partners,” said Tara Leigh Goode, Climavision’s Head of Radar Operations and Strategic Partnerships. “This exciting partnership with AEMA demonstrates how we can all work together to accelerate innovation and solutions in the interest of a safer, more resilient nation. We’re grateful to AEMA for their leadership in disaster preparedness and proud to partner with them.”

“The first phase of this effort focused on deploying the physical infrastructure needed to observe weather where it previously couldn’t be seen,” said Chris Goode, Co-Founder and CEO of Climavision. “This next phase — making that data accessible statewide — shows how states can responsibly modernize their weather readiness. Alabama’s approach demonstrates what’s possible when state leadership, local partners and federal systems work together, and we expect this model to become
increasingly relevant as weather risks continue to intensify.”

(This side-by-side comparison above shows that the WAKA Action 8 Lifesaver Radar systems provided by Climavision offer 10 times the resolution of standard radars. You will see finer detail and storms at lower levels of the atmosphere, where tornadoes often form. – Image from WAKA Action 8 News)

The Action 8 Lifesaver Radar units have up to 10 times the resolution of standard government NEXRAD S-band radars. Similar radars are being used in 13 other states, with Florida next in line to receive them.

DETAILS ABOUT LIFESAVER RADAR

• Lifesaver Radar is exclusive to WAKA Action 8, with systems in Wilcox County and near the Alabama-Mississippi state line
• Lifesaver Radar is an addition to government radars you already know
• Lifesaver Radar has 10 times the resolution, so you’ll see storms more clearly
• Lifesaver Radar scans lower levels of the atmosphere, areas that distant radars often miss
• Lifesaver Radar has the first look at storms incoming from the west, giving everyone an earlier warning

You will not see these radars on any other TV station.

More details about Action 8 Lifesaver Radar in Pine Hill

Residents, local leaders express thanks for Action 8 Lifesaver Radar in Pine Hill

Learn more about Action 8 Lifesaver Radar Near Alabama/Mississippi state line

Local leaders thankful for Action 8 Lifesaver Radar near the Alabama/Mississippi state line

Besides on-air, the Lifesaver Radars are available to see on the Action 8 Weather App. Get the free weather app here:
iPhone – Android

The Action 8 Lifesaver Radars are sponsored locally by The Johnny Adams Law Firm.