Two Colbert County communities receive new storm shelters
COLBERT COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Two new storm shelters are being installed in Colbert County, ahead of the spring severe weather season.
One shelter is being installed in Sheffield at the corner of E. 17th Street and SE 8th Street. When this shelter becomes operational it will be the fifth community storm shelter in Sheffield.
January finishes wetter and cooler than average in Huntsville
The second shelter is installed at the Early Learning Center in Muscle Shoals. This new shelter will be the first within the city limits.
In 2019 and 2020, Colbert County experienced heavy rain leading to flooding.
Due to the severity of the flooding, FEMA declared flooding disasters in both those years for the county. That declaration allowed officials to apply for hazardous litigation funding to purchase the new shelters.
New Storm Shelter in Muscle Shoals New Storm Shelter In Sheffield
“The location at the Early Learning Center just makes it that much more special, because the kids you can hear in the background here will have a safe place to go during severe weather,” Colbert County EMA Director Michael Smith said.
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The Early Learning Center is a part of the Muscle Shoals City School system.
Superintendent Dr. Chad Holden and other officials began a conversation with the county commission to donate part of the school’s property for the new shelter.
“I offered the property and said you know if you have the grant and you have the shelter we may have the property for you.,” Holden said. “It is a win-win for the school and community.”
Holden said once the shelter is fully installed students will practice drills.
Once the two shelters become operational, there will be 27 community storm shelters across Colbert County.
Ahead of a severe weather event, it is important to have multiple ways to receive alerts and have a plan in place.
“Give yourself a good amount of time at least an hour or two to go ahead and make your way to the shelter prepare the things that you want to take with you to the shelter and get there be ready to go so you’re not caught in the middle of the storm,” added Smith.
The Colbert County EMA will be holding a storm spotters class on Thursday, February 8th at the Cherokee High School. This class is free to the public and you will learn more about weather safety.
To find more information on the storm spotters class, visit the Colbert County EMA website.
To find the closest community shelter, visit the Colbert County EMA website.
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