Madison Co. Commissioners Prioritize Construction of Storm Shelters amid Rising Costs

Madison Co. commissioners working toward constructing more storm shelters

MADISON CO., Ala. – Madison County Commissioners Phil Vandiver and Craig Hill are no strangers to the dangers of severe weather. Vandiver said he has personal experience with some of the state’s deadliest tornado outbreaks, including the super outbreak 50 years ago. “[I] stood out on my grandfather’s back porch and watched that one go across Harvest,” he said. “Came home from my wedding [during the 1995 outbreak] from the honeymoon, watched that one come right through exactly where we’re sitting. The 2011 and 2012 storms were basically on that same path.” Both commissioners know how vital storm shelters can be during tornado season, so they’re always looking for the next location for more shelters.

Seeking Key Locations

Hill said he’s eyeing the Hampton Cove / Big Cove area as the next location. “Today, with our ability to identify the need and also the warnings we can receive, we need to provide those places for residents to find a safe place,” he said. Vandiver said he’d like to add a new storm shelter to the Harvest area, but neither project has a start date.

Rising Costs

The problem? Both commissioners say the price to build one has ballooned over the last five years. Vandiver said the last two shelters installed in his district cost $250,000. “They’ve gone from basically $80,000 to $130,000 a piece now. That’s pretty costly and it’s slowed down us putting them out quite as fast as we’d like to,” he said. Hill also said the money to fund previous storm shelters have come from grants. “All the shelters we’ve installed, we have been able to get grant money to do that so we want to continue that process,” he said. “It allows us to keep money in our budget for the needs we know we have but also to respond to the citizens requests and storm shelters have been one.”

Future Plans

He said they’ll have to stick to that plan now before they can look to add to the 14 shelters that are already in Madison County.

Conclusion

Madison County Commissioners Phil Vandiver and Craig Hill are actively working towards constructing more storm shelters in key locations to ensure the safety of residents during severe weather events. The rising costs, however, present a challenge that the commissioners are addressing by seeking grant funding. As they continue to prioritize the installation of storm shelters, the communities in Madison County can look forward to enhanced safety measures in the face of severe weather threats.