Summary of Official Statements & Emergency Measures in Gulf Shores, AL

In recent years, Gulf Shores, Alabama has issued a number of emergency declarations, facility closures, and public notices in response to severe weather and other threats. Below is a consolidation of those statements, adjusted into a cohesive narrative:

State of Emergency & Severe Weather Alerts

On March 15, 2025, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for all 67 counties ahead of incoming severe weather, citing risk of damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. The proclamation urged all residents to stay alert, make preparations, and monitor forecasts.

Earlier, during a winter storm in January 2025, local authorities in Gulf Shores announced closures of municipal offices and rescheduling of public services due to freezing, ice, and hazardous travel conditions.

In that same winter event, the official public announcement from the city included advisories for road and bridge closures, urging residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, and citing black ice risks, especially on bridges and overpasses.

Municipal & Facility Closures

The city of Gulf Shores declared closures of all offices and facilities during a forecasted winter storm period (January 21–22, 2025), while assuring that emergency services (police, fire) would remain operational.

Trash, recycling, and debris pickup schedules were temporarily adjusted to accommodate safety concerns due to inclement weather.

In prior instances, such as after Hurricane Sally in September 2020, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach issued a temporary shutdown to visitors: the area was “closed to visitors” for at least ten days to enable damage assessment and cleanup. (Alabama Political Reporter)

As part of that closure, certain bridges (W. C. Holmes Bridge, Foley Beach Express, Perdido Pass Bridge) were restricted so that only residents, property owners, or essential workers with valid reentry passes could cross. (Gulf Shores & Orange Beach)

During that post-Sally period, a curfew of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. was also imposed countywide until further notice. (Gulf Shores & Orange Beach)

Emergency Management & Preparedness

The Gulf Shores city website maintains an Emergency Management division that coordinates with state, federal, and county agencies. In times of emergency, the public is directed to monitor city releases, social media, local TV, or radio for updates.

The municipal utilities authority (Gulf Shores Utilities) maintains a 24‑hour emergency contact line for water/sewer emergencies, encouraging residents to report issues immediately.

The city also periodically conducts full-scale emergency drills. For example, the Gulf Shores International Airport held a disaster simulation of a 707 aircraft crash in April 2025, coordinating among multiple agencies, to test readiness.

One public statement by the airport director emphasized that the exercise was critical to ensure roles, communications, and interagency coordination are refined before any real event.