On April 28, 2014 as a killer tornado bore down upon Winston County, residents took shelter where they could find it. Unfortunately, at that time there were no FEMA rated saferooms in the county.
Louisville Mayor, Will Hill stated that Winston County was in the queue to receive funding for saferooms well before this, but was down the list. However, the loss of three lives in 2011 and ten in 2014 moved Winston County to the top of the list, due to the pattern of deadly storms.
The Louisville Community Saferoom, located at the corner of North Columbus Ave., and College St., which has been in the works since 2015 is nearing completion, and should be ready for use by April of this year, with a final walk-through planned for the last week of March.
Hill said, “It is fitting that we are going to get to occupy it in April, five years after the tornado.” A ribbon-cutting and dedication is planned for April 25, and the Louisville Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual celebration in the multi-purpose building that evening.
The saferoom has a capacity of just over 2.2K, by FEMA standards, but in the event of a storm can hold many more. Although the building is designated for those within a half-mile radius, Hill said that no one will be turned away. The building is rated for winds up to 250 mph.
A centralized shelter was greatly needed as was evidenced during the 2014 tornado, as residents took shelter in the Winston County Courthouse. The Courthouse was very soon filled to capacity and made it almost impossible for emergency management and law enforcement personnel to carry out their duties, making it necessary for them to relocate to Louisville City Hall.
An agreement with the Louisville Municipal School District should be finalized around the first of July that will allow Fair Elementary and Louisville Elementary use of the facility during the school year as an assembly or activity area. The City of Louisville retains the right to rent the building, for a fee, on weekends and some nights, with the knowledge that storm warnings supersede all other uses.
The process of bringing this project to fruition has been a long and sometimes arduous task, and the community has been inconvenienced by the work, but the result is well worth it, knowing that there is safe and secure place in time of need.
