Prep for stormy weather, tax-free

This weekend is Alabama's Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.

Why it matters: State taxes, as well as city and county taxes locally, are waived for a long list of items to help make sure you make it through the next big storm with minimal impact.

How it works: Huntsville, Madison, New Hope, Owens Cross Roads and Madison County are all participating in the state-led tax holiday.

• It covers individual items that cost $94 or less from a list of about two dozen types of items, as well as a single purchase of $1,564 or less for a generator.
• The holiday started at 12:01am today, and runs through midnight Sunday night.

Zoom in: Batteries, save coin batteries and those for cars or boats, are on the list, as is equipment like tarps, plywood for windows, radios, flashlights, tarps and tie-down gear including duct tape.

• Not included are any type of food items or bottled water, but non-electric containers for those are on the list, along with artificial ice or ice packs.
• Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, first aid kits and gas cans are included, as are cellphone batteries and chargers.

By the numbers: That can save you some real money.

• In the city limits of Huntsville, given the state's 4%, county's 0.5% and city's 4.5% tax rates, that's $9 for every $100 spent.
• With Madison's 3.5%, it's $8 for every $100, and in unincorporated parts of the county (where county taxes are 1.5%), it's $2.75 for every $100 spent.

Case in point: Want to see what you need to fill out your emergency kit?

• The National Weather Service's checklist includes items from the tax holiday list like batteries, flashlights and first aid kits.
• FEMA's checklist, too, includes those items and more from the list, like plastic sheeting, tarps and duct tape for sheltering in place.