By Joshua Easley

Those who still haven’t made their severe weather preparedness kit can get a tax break statewide this weekend on the items needed to fill it.

Alabama’s seventh severe weather preparedness sales tax holiday begins on Friday Feb. 23, at 12:01 a.m. and will end at midnight Sunday Feb. 25.

This will allow shoppers to buy items less than $60 that every household and business needs to prepare for a natural disaster, an emergency, and with the exemption of the state’s 4 percent sales tax.

Marvin’s will be among the stores that participate in this tax holiday. Certain emergency preparedness items will be exempt from the state’s 4 percent state sales tax, and in some cities and counties, local taxes are waived on those items as well. It means shoppers can save as much as 10 percent on these items in some areas of the state.

Bondurant ACE Hardware Building Supply and Marvin’s have everything that is needed for such severe weather. “We can help before and after storms,” Bondurant ACE Hardware manager Clint Patterson said.

He said, however that doesn’t mean one should take the weather likely. Patterson said, “listen to what the forecaster tells you, because with less people on the highway the better.”

“The things needed for a storm is having water, flashlights with batteries, plenty of bread, canned goods, and functioning radios,” he said.

The cities of East Brewton and Flomaton will participate, while the city of Brewton and Escambia County will not. However, the 4 percent state sales tax will not be levied on those items.

Here is a list of items that Bondurant ACE Hardware and Marvin’s carry for severe weather storms:

• Plywood

• Flashlights and batteries

• Propane bottles

• First aid Kit

• Cellular phone chargers to keep your phone charged

• Lanterns

• Fire extinguishers

• Gas containers

• Weather radios

• Pave

• Nails