JACKSON, Miss. – The building you hold out in during a bad storm could mean life or death. That is why county emergency management departments across the state are making sure you have a safe place to stay during a storm.
“If you live in a mobile home, or in a substandard structure, then you need to take shelter somewhere else. You need to get out of there,” said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Director Robert Latham.
In Clay County there are plans to construct two new storm shelters, each of them holding 15 people apiece. The structure costs about $5,000 to build and are expected to be a quick drive for residents that live in rural areas.
In Oktibbeha County there are plans to construct a $3 million community storm shelter, large enough to accommodate 3,000 people.
“We are in the process of identifying priorities for north i-20 because of the recent storms in April. There are a lot of places that we want to put some of these safe rooms.”
Latham also says it is important for Mississippians to heed advance warnings from the National Weather Service so storm shelters can be reached in a timely manner.
