New Tornado Shelters Installed in Lowndes County Communities
FEMA-funded project brings safer storm options to Crawford, Artesia, and Plum Grove.
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. — Residents in southern and western Lowndes County now have new places to take cover when severe weather hits. Crews spent the past few days installing 10 tornado shelters at community centers in Artesia, Crawford and Plum Grove.
Each shelter is designed to hold about 20 people, though county leaders say more could fit in an emergency. Crawford received four shelters, while Artesia and Plum Grove each have three.
District Four Supervisor Jeff Smith said the project has been years in the making. He said, “I feel relieved. We’ve been pursuing this opportunity for five or six years with great energy and great aggressiveness. We’re taking a step forward in helping to provide security during storms and improving quality of life. That’s what this is all about.”
An Artesia alderwoman added that the shelters will make a big difference when storms strike suddenly. She said, “We’re just so happy because for so long, when the storm came up, people didn’t have anywhere to go. Now this is a place where we can come and feel safe in the storm shelters.”
The price tag for the project came in at just over $136,000. An initial FEMA grant covered about $93,000, and the county has applied for an amended grant to cover the rest.
Smith praised the county staff for their persistence. “Our mission management staff have done an excellent job making sure we did everything needed to qualify. The day has come when we can finally offer this to citizens. Storms don’t wait for paperwork, but now these shelters will be waiting for the storms,” he said.
County leaders say the shelters represent a new chapter in protection for communities that needed them most.
