Stone County more prepared for storms with five new shelters | Environment

After two years of construction Stone County now has five storm shelters that meet FEMA safety standards. Officials held a ribbon cutting for two of the shelters Tuesday.

Stone County Emergency Management Director Raven James said the shelters were finished in January and together cost around $5.5 million. They were paid for using FEMA and MEMA grants.

James said each of the shelters meet FEMA 361 requirements. Included in the requirement the shelters were built to withstand winds of 200 miles per hour. They include restrooms, heating and air conditioning and are self sustaining.

“They have complete generator power and back up water and sewer,” James said. “This is something that we knew we needed especially after Katrina. We had a lack of safe shelters.”

Three of the shelters are 5,000 square feet, one is 3,300 square feet and another is 1,800 square feet, James explained. The shelters are located at: Perkinston Elementary, Stone Elementary, Stone Middle School, Stone High School and one at 1084 Project Road in Wiggins.

James said four of the shelters were deliberately placed on school grounds so that schools could use the shelters for special activities when they aren't needed.

Prior to the five shelters being built, James said, the residents had to take shelter at the schools, which delayed students from getting back into school after a storm.