Access to school storm shelters varies by region

Following the deadly EF5 tornado that struck Moore, Okla., on May 20, a public discussion has begun regarding the construction of storm shelters at public schools.

Schools in Oklahoma and Arkansas are not required to build or retro-fit buildings for tornado shelters, though many schools in both states have begun installing the shelters through the years.

In the Fort Smith area, many of the city's schools have tornado shelters that serve not only students, faculty and staff, but also the community when a warning is issued outside of regular school hours. The larger school districts in Northwest Arkansas have not included such shelters in their facility plans.

Outside of the city, eight emergency storm shelters are located in LeFlore County, Okla., including four within Poteau Public Schools. According to administrative assistant John Spencer of Poteau Schools, the shelters have been in place for at least five years.

"They were direct spinoffs from the Moore tornado in 1999 and the grants that came from that," he said, referencing the last EF5 tornado to hit the city in central Oklahoma.

FEMA GRANTS
The grants Spencer mentioned are grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which cover 75% of the cost of a storm shelter that meets the agency's standards.

While Poteau has invested in shelters at each of the district's four schools, Sallisaw Public School Superintendent Scott Farmer said his district had not yet received grants from FEMA to construct the same number of shelters.

"We have submitted an intent to apply to secure funds for safe rooms at all four of our campuses," he said. "When funds are available, those will be sent to the districts."

According to Farmer, the FEMA grants are not always readily available, which is why his school has had to wait for two years for the application to be approved and funds sent to the district.

"FEMA does not set aside mitigation funding until disasters occur," he said. "There is an anticipated mitigation pool of money that may become available, but there is no specific timeline that they've given us."

HIGH COSTS
Even with the FEMA grants, districts have to front 25% of the cost of the shelter. In the case of Sallisaw, their share totals $999,152.50 total for their four shelters, while the federal government would grant the district $2,997,457.50.

The high costs, Farmer said, are due to the construction specifications required by FEMA in order to obtain the grants.

"In order to qualify, there are FEMA 361 standards that you have to abide by," he said, adding that much of the concrete used in construction has increased thickness and is "heavily reinforced" in the top, bottom and sides of the structure.

To pay the local portion of construction costs, Spencer said Poteau partnered with businesses and organizations in the community for grants and in-kind matching contributions. It is a model Farmer said Sallisaw would pursue, as well.

OKLAHOMA PUSH
But some schools may not have such options, which is why Gov. Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma, has launched a state fund to accept donations for school storm shelters, according to media reports.

In Oklahoma, it is something many schools would likely welcome. Based on a list from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, no Sequoyah County school districts have a safe room, while Heavener, Howe, Poteau and Sprio School Districts in LeFlore County have eight shelters between the four districts.

Back across the state line, in addition to the many shelters constructed by Fort Smith Schools, Sebastian County recently constructed a safe room at Ben Geren Park, which is open to the public during tornado warnings and for recreational activities.

In Crawford County, Emergency Management Director Dennis Gilstrap told the Quorum Court on May 23 that all schools districts have shelters with the exception of Mountainburg Schools.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS DECISIONS
While storm shelters have been a way of life in the Fort Smith area for the last several years, the same can't necessarily be said in Northwest Arkansas.

Rogers Public Schools Business Manager David Cauldwell said the district did not have anything that "would classify as a storm shelter." He said all schools have areas that have been designated as "shelter-type rooms" where students, faculty and staff can go in the case of a tornado or severe storm.

"We basically get with the architects and the city people and say, 'In this building, where are the places more safe than others?'"

Cauldwell said no discussions have taken place regarding safe rooms since the Moore tornado, but he said discussions have taken place.

"We had checked into FEMA grants," he said. "The thing we were finding is the size of the gymnasium areas we were building would not house all the people in that school to begin with. And the cost, even with the grant, would be much more than our cost was otherwise."

Bentonville Public Schools Facilities Director Paul Wallace said Rogers' western neighbor did not have any "certified storm shelters," either, though he said a second high school to be built in the city could include such a structure.

"As far as the new high school, we haven't even started design of the new high school," he said. "We have the millage vote in September. We will look at the feasibility and look at how we can possibly incorporate that, if our budget allows."

Back in Rogers, Cauldwell said the frequency of tornadoes in Northwest Arkansas was so low, it was not something to seriously pursue.

"If I lived in Norman, Okla., I'd probably look at it differently. I know that they historically have had a lot of problems with the weather. We historically have not had that (many) problems with tornadic weather and I guess that's a reason also that it hasn't been discussed more."