Multi-Use Storm Shelter To Be Built With $1.2 Million FEMA Grant To Cullman County Schools 

Release Date: September 23, 2008
Release Number: R4-08-221

ATLANTA, Ga. -- A grant of $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will fund the construction of a multi-use storm shelter at the Cullman Area Career Center. Once complete, the 6,000-square-foot shelter will be able to house more than 1,060 people in the event of a tornado or high winds resulting from severe storms.  

The National Weather Service has documented 74 tornados in Cullman County in modern times, and this shelter will provide a safe place for students and residents seeking haven from a storm. The above-ground shelter will be built according FEMA Publication 361 specifications and will be able to withstand winds in excess of 250 miles per hour. 

The grant was awarded through FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program. The $1,206,000 represents a 75 percent federal share of the total project cost of $1,608,000. The remaining 25 percent will come from non-federal sources.

"With the severe storm activity that Cullman County experiences each year, this shelter is a much needed addition that will provide safe refuge for both students and citizens," said FEMA Region IV Regional Administrator Phil May. "The shelter will be around a long time too, since the design calls for materials lasting fifty years or more."

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program provides funds to states, territories, Indian tribal governments, communities, and universities for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects prior to a disaster event.

Funding is intended to reduce the risk to the population, while also reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations. PDM grants are to be awarded on a competitive basis and without reference to state allocations, quotas, or other formula-based allocation of funds.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 23-Sep-2008 16:37:15