Cities, towns realize importance of domed tornado shelters

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Residents throughout the area found refuge in “domed” storm shelters as severe weather hit Saturday night.

Cities across Northeast Mississippi invested in “domed” storm shelters after the deadly tornado that hit Smithville nearly eight years ago.

A shelter on the Smithville High School campus was opened to the public Saturday evening and people sought shelter there for about two hours.

Greg Kennedy is a former mayor of Smithville and now works for a firm that helped municipalities write hazardous mitigation grants for the domed shelters.

“Difference between the dome and the conventional rectangle block building, once you get a certain amount of square footage in these, 4,500 square feet and bigger, the cost per square foot is less with dome than the conventional build. We’re looking out for taxpayers, or whoever is paying, taxpayers, or school district’s pocketbook,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy said the city of Louisville will have a ribbon cutting for its domed shelter on April 25.