Russell County, Ala. (WRBL) - In case of severe weather, people close to the Russell County area will have their choice of FEMA-funded public storm shelters.
The storm shelters are located at:
- The Russell County Senior Activity Center across from the National Cemetery on HWY 165 in Fort Mitchell
- The baseball fields in Seale next to Russell County Middle School on Old Seale Highway
- In Hurtsboro behind the Russell County Sheriff’s Department substation
All three storm shelters are identical and are open to anyone seeking shelter, regardless if you are a Russell County resident. They can seat 88 people, but can hold roughly 100 people in the case of an emergency.
Director of Russell County EMA, Bob Franklin, says these shelters are “the safest thing in the county as far as a tornado is concerned.”
“It’s got a generator, so it [has] its own power supply.” Franklin said. “It’s storm-rated to EF5 tornadoes… they bounce cars off of them during the test, so they’re pretty doggone strong.”
The shelters will not be locked, so people will be able to seek shelter at any time. Franklin advises people to turn their phone volumes all the way up in case of a weather emergency overnight.
“We have some outdoor warning sirens throughout the county and you can hear them on a clear Saturday when we test them…. but in the middle of a storm you most likely won’t hear them and if you’re asleep you definitely won’t hear it,” Franklin said. “So we want something to wake you up.”
A volunteer or a sheriff’s deputy will be at the shelters to make sure everyone is okay. Someone will also let people know when the coast is clear and they are able to safely leave the shelter.
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