Amory plans to apply for grant to build community storm shelter
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – Amory is continuing on its road to recovery after a tornado that blew through last year.
Along with rebuilding, city leaders are preparing for the next storm.
They want to build a community storm shelter.
To help cover the cost, the city is applying for a Community Development Block grant that could award the city up to $750,000.
Mayor Corey Glenn said this is an important step in the recovery process.
“We’ve been through a devastating storm and a lengthy recovery and there was a lot of damage in that particular area Ward 2 which is on the western front of our city so absolutely it is part of our recovery,” Glenn said.
The shelter would be located near Amory Fire Station 2 on the west side of the city.
Glenn said they are planning to maximize the grant if they get it.
“This first bid is somewhere north of $225,000. That’s just the shell itself. That does not include the infrastructure, the foundation, the parking, and all that. We know we are going to spend north of $600,000 so we are going to try to maximize the grant if it’s available we are going to procure it,” Glenn said.
Community members at the meeting were supportive.
Ward 4 Alderman Glen Bingham said the shelter would be important to residents in that area.
“It will give a lot of people who don’t normally have ways of getting something within walking distance of this community in most cases. That’s a very important thing because there are so many people who don’t have the transportation that they need at the time. Most people in Ward 2 can be there within five minutes,” Bingham said.
Tracy Hadley of Love Without Walls said most importantly it gives those without personal storm shelters somewhere to go.
“It has been requested several times the need for a storm shelter so having this meeting and a place for the people to go in case of a tornado is very very helpful while we continue to work on getting individual shelters in the area,” Hadley said.
The city can apply for the grant later this month and they hope to have a shelter in place by next spring.
They are asking the community to send in letters of support for the shelter to accompany the grant application.
